The Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health has officially launched the construction of a 50-bed GH hospital in Tani district of Khost province at an estimated cost of 50 million Afghanis.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Abdul Wali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Service Delivery at the Ministry of Public Health, said the ministry is working to expand healthcare services to remote areas where residents lack access to adequate medical care.
According to Haqqani, the construction of GH hospitals in all districts across the country is being carried out under a special directive from the Taliban’s supreme leader, with the aim of enabling patients to receive healthcare services in their own communities without having to travel to provincial centers for treatment.
Taliban officials said the 50-bed hospital will be built on five jeribs of land and will be equipped with the necessary facilities and standard medical equipment. Construction is expected to be completed within 18 months.
Haqqani also announced that a new staffing structure has been approved to address the shortage of neurosurgery and orthopedic services at Khost’s Civil and Specialized Hospital, adding that specialist doctors will be appointed to these departments in the near future.
He further said that plans are underway to construct a 100-bed women’s and children’s hospital in the Malaria Bagh area of Khost city.
Meanwhile, Mahboob Shah Qanat, Deputy Governor of Khost, described the launch of the project as a significant step toward improving healthcare services and urged the contracting company to ensure high construction quality, adherence to standards, and the project’s timely completion.
The announcement comes as the World Health Organization has previously warned that Afghanistan’s healthcare system is facing serious challenges due to declining international aid, with hundreds of health facilities across the country having been forced to close.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
