Advanced Surgeries Begin in Herat After Closure of Pakistan Crossings

The Herat Public Health Department says that following the closure of Pakistan’s crossings to patients, advanced and complex surgeries have been performed in the province for the first time.

According to officials, the new procedures include brain and spinal tumor removals, surgeries for esophageal and stomach cancers, lung and liver cancer treatments, and the removal of cancerous tumors from the thyroid and jaw.

Ghulam Mohammad Hanifi, Deputy Director of Herat Public Health Department, said: “Surgeries that Afghans previously sought abroad are now being performed in Herat due to the opportunities created and the rising expertise of Afghan specialists. These days, very few patients need to travel abroad for treatment.”

Mohammad Younus Eqbal, a neurosurgeon, said: “These surgeries are rare worldwide and are typically performed in European countries or the United States. In neighboring countries, such operations are extremely uncommon.”

One of the patients, Shogofa, had planned to travel to Pakistan for treatment, but due to border closures, she underwent surgery at a hospital in Herat instead.

Shogofa shared: “I was worried about how my illness would be treated, but God made the doctor a means, and the surgery was successfully done. Now that I’ve recovered, I feel good. All four of my limbs can move, and I’m happy.”

Her husband, Abdul Hadi, said: “They took two scans and said there was a tumor in her brain. We were very worried. We tried to go to Pakistan, but we couldn’t get a visa. Then we decided to go to Iran, but five days ago, her condition worsened, so she had the operation here in Herat.”

The Herat Public Health Department says dozens of Afghan specialist doctors have returned from abroad in recent months.

Officials say that with recent improvements in Herat’s healthcare system, many patients no longer need to seek treatment in neighboring countries.