Ministry: Budget Approved for Construction of 318 Hospitals in Districts

Noor Jalal Jalali, acting Minister of Public Health, announced the approval of a budget for building 318 hospitals in districts by the leadership of the Islamic Emirate.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony for the diagnostic centers of the Infectious Diseases Hospital and the Afghan-Japan Hospital in Kabul, Jalali stated that currently, only 92 districts have hospitals.

The acting minister added: “Out of approximately 400 districts in Afghanistan, we have hospitals in 92 districts, while all other areas lack them. The Amir al-Mu’minin, out of his compassion and kindness, approved a mid-year budget for the construction of 318 hospitals in districts.”

The construction project for the diagnostic centers of the Infectious Diseases Hospital and the Afghan-Japan Hospital, initiated in collaboration with JICA and the World Health Organization (WHO), has been launched in Kabul with a budget of 100 million Afghanis.

Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, stated that these two projects involve the construction of two buildings, which will be completed and inaugurated within the next three months.

Meanwhile, the Director of Therapeutic Medicine at the Ministry of Public Health announced the standardization of hospitals in the capital, adding that soon, MRI systems will be activated in some hospitals using the ministry’s budget.

Wahdat Alkozai, Director of Therapeutic Medicine, said: “As we all know, we currently do not have a single MRI machine within the framework of the Ministry of Public Health across Afghanistan. This year, we will witness the installation of two MRI machines.”

Meanwhile, the Director of the National and Specialized Infectious Diseases Hospital highlighted the need for standardized intensive care units (ICUs) and pointed out shortages of some equipment and medicines.

Spin Gul Subhani Zadran, Director of the Infectious Diseases Hospital, stated: “One of our major problems is the lack of standardized intensive care units.”

Additionally, the WHO announced that since 2021, it has trained 800 healthcare workers in Afghanistan, over 300 of whom are women.

The WHO wrote on X: “Since Dec 2021, WHO’s Basic Emergency Care course has trained 800 first contact health workers in Afghanistan, including 333 women, improving survival rates for acute illness and injury.”

The acting minister highlighted that significant efforts have been made in recent years to provide basic health services. However, the lack of tertiary services has led many patients to seek treatment abroad.