Kandahar to have new 400-bed mother-child hospital

KABUL (Pajhwok): A 400-bed specialized mother-child hospital will be constructed in southern Kandahar province over the next two years with funding from a Qatari charity foundation.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the hospital’s construction was signed today (Wednesday) between Dr. Mohammad Hassan Ghiyasi, Deputy Minister of Policy and Health Development at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, and Momin Shah, representative of the Qatari charity organization.

Sharafat Zaman Amar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, told reporters that the hospital will include departments for internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, a laboratory, and pharmacy.

It will be built on a 10,000-square-meter plot in Kandahar province. The construction cost will be determined once the design is finalized.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health, said: “It is a matter of happiness that we are witnessing the signing of the agreement for a 400-bed specialized hospital, which will be built with financial support from the Qatari charity within the next two and a half years.”

He added that the hospital will significantly meet the health needs of mothers and children not only in Kandahar but also in other southern provinces.

The minister highlighted that over the past two decades, health centers in Afghanistan were established unevenly, leaving many areas underserved. In southern provinces, including Kandahar, many “white areas” (zones without health facilities) forced people to travel long distances for medical care.

Jalali emphasized that the Islamic Emirate prioritizes the health sector, and under a new policy, services will be expanded according to people’s needs.

Dr. Murdif Al-Qashouti, Qatar’s Chargé d’affaires, said the hospital’s construction will reduce maternal and child mortality and meet the healthcare needs of Kandahar as well as other southern provinces.

“It is a pleasure to see another project from the State of Qatar presented to Afghanistan,” he added.

Momin Shah, representing the Qatari charity in Afghanistan, said: “We are delighted to witness the signing ceremony of the MoU for this hospital, funded by the Qatar Fund for Development. We have long awaited this moment.”

He noted that the hospital will provide services in surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, internal medicine, emergency care, and other departments.

sa/ma