KABUL (SW) – Officials from the Ministry of Public Health under the Islamic Emirate announced that the budget for the construction of 318 district-level hospitals has been approved by the leader of the de-facto government.
On Wednesday, December 25, in a press conference held in Kabul, officials said that construction work is set to begin soon. However, the exact time remains uncertain.
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Acting Minister of Public Health, stated that each of these hospitals will have 30 beds and will provide services across five medical departments.
“There was a clear need to increase healthcare services and access to secondary care in the districts,” he said. “These hospitals will be built in districts that currently do not have any healthcare facilities. The hospitals will offer services in general internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and emergency care.”
Jalali further added that the construction of these hospitals will require a budget of 7 billion afghanis and, once underway, will create job opportunities for 27,000 people.
Bakht al-Rahman Sharafat, the Deputy Minister for Financial and Administrative Affairs, also mentioned that the public health ministry has formed a committee to oversee the construction of these hospitals.
He added, “The provision of primary, secondary, and tertiary services in these hospitals is a priority. Previously, all the pressure was on central hospitals; after the construction of these facilities, the burden on central hospitals will be alleviated.”
The shortage of hospitals, beds, medicines, and other medical resources remains a significant challenge in Afghanistan’s healthcare sector. According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Health, out of more than 400 districts, only 93 currently have hospitals.
