Afghanistan: Amid health sector challenges, Turkish doctors arrive in Kabul for free pediatric care

KABUL: At a time when Afghanistan is grappling with a poor economy and the healthcare system is in a deteriorated state, Turkish doctors have arrived in Kabul to provide free paediatric care in the Taliban-ruled nation, reported Khaama Press.

The Taliban-led Ministry of Public Health, in a post on the social networking platform X on Thursday, noted that a group of Turkish physicians has come to Afghanistan to conduct paediatric and urological procedures at the Ataturk Children's Hospital in collaboration with Afghan doctors at the Ataturk Children's Hospital free of charge.

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health also stated that Turkish physicians instruct Afghan physicians in paediatric urology in addition to carrying out the procedures themselves.

This comes at a time when the international community continues to draw attention to the difficulties faced by Afghanistan's collapsing healthcare system.

The World Health Organization stated in an early report this year that 2024 will be a challenging year for Afghanistan's health sector, reported Khaama Press.

Afghan citizens annually spend millions of dollars on travelling abroad for treatment of various diseases. Moreover, at a time when a majority of the people residing in the country are unable to afford basic amenities, medical expenses have become even harder to dealt with on a daily basis.