An international conference on thoracic surgery was held by a private hospital in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, with the participation of foreign specialists in the field of surgery.
The conference largely focused on strengthening the health sector; however, the Surgeons’ Association highlighted several issues as serious challenges facing this sector.
The association warns that the continuation of restrictions on girls’ education and higher learning in the country will lead to a severe shortage of female surgeons in the future, posing a major challenge to the health sector.
Bismillah Shiwamal, head of the Surgeons’ Association, said:
“I must say that we cannot do this work with male doctors alone. As an experienced surgeon, I believe that in our country and across the world, surgical operations are impossible without the participation of female surgeons. I fear that if serious decisions are not made on this issue, we may face a disaster in the coming years; the authorities must take this matter seriously.”
Some other doctors are also calling for solutions to certain problems within the health sector in order to ensure its growth and strengthening.
Kohmand, deputy head of the Surgeons’ Association, said:
“Unfortunately, despite the fact that we are among those with the highest level of education in the health sector—and that we obtained this education using the people’s money—we have not made much progress.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health says that the health sector had many problems in the past, and that with the arrival of the Islamic Emirate, many of these issues have been resolved. Officials of the ministry add that efforts have also begun in Kabul and all other provinces to address the remaining problems.
Ahmad Khandan, Director of Private Sector Coordination at the Ministry of Public Health, said:
“In Kabul alone, we have 48 private-sector hospitals with a capacity of between 50 and 100 beds. The expansion of services by these hospitals shows that public trust in them has increased.”
On the other hand, foreign doctors have also assured their cooperation in the development of Afghanistan’s health sector, adding that if visa-related problems are resolved, Afghan doctors will be invited abroad for training.
Spanish surgeon Dr. Diego González Rivas said:
“We are ready to provide all kinds of assistance to Afghan doctors. If the visa issue is resolved, I will invite Afghan doctors to Spain and provide them with hands-on training there.”
According to the Ministry of Public Health, agreements have also been signed with several institutions to strengthen the health sector. In this regard, an agreement has been reached with the electricity company to supply hospitals with one kilowatt of electricity at 6 afghanis instead of 12 afghanis. According to the same information, taxes on private hospitals have also been reduced to ensure better treatment of patients at lower costs.
