Herat hospital wins SIGN certificate

HERAT CITY (PAN): The Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Hospital in western Herat province was chosen from amongst 85 countries for an international surgery certificate in acknowledgement of its orthopedic services.

Dr. Mohammad Ismail Wardak, the foreign relations manager of Afghanistan’s Orthopedic Association, told Pajhwok Afghan News the document was awarded by the Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) in the United States.

“According to SIGN’s assessments, the orthopedic ward of the health facility performed better operations in the field of transplant of long leg and hand bones,” Wardak said.

He added the award demonstrated the credibility of the country’s orthopedic operations internationally, saying that the continuation of such enormous achievements would encourage other specialists across Afghanistan.

Wardak said he received the certificate on behalf of Afghanistan at a four-day conference (Sep. 14-Sep.17) attended by representatives from 85 countries in Washington.

Ahmad Faisal Muhtasebzada, a doctor at the orthopedic ward of the hospital, told Pajhwok the certificate, handed to them on Wednesday, had invigorated the ward’s doctors.

“Of the 352 surgical operations conducted at the hospital and monitored by SIGN over the past three years, only one failed,” Faisal said.

There are 150 medical specialists in Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Shiberghan, Police, 400-bed and four Army hospitals under SIGN. Afghanistan became a member of the body four years ago and around 3,000 people have so far benefited from its free service offer.

mbg/mud