Afghanistan opens first pediatric heart surgery, dialysis units in Kabul
Indira Gandhi Hospital inaugurates new facilities as Taliban-led government urges donors to shift from humanitarian aid to development support
KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV) — Afghanistan has opened its first pediatric open-heart surgery and dialysis units at Indira Gandhi Hospital in Kabul, a development officials say will reduce the need for families to seek costly treatment abroad.
According to ToloNews, the Ministry of Public Health announced that the new center includes 50 beds and the capacity to conduct four surgical operations per day.
The pediatric dialysis section is equipped with 10 active beds to treat children with heart complications, marking the first time such services have been available in the country.
Public Health Minister Noor Jalal Jalali said the launch was part of a broader strategy to modernize Afghanistan’s health system. “Based on this vision, we are working on building health sectors, training staff, capacity building, and equipping hospitals with advanced medical equipment. Today, we are taking a major step in treating children’s heart diseases,” he said.
Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi used the inauguration to reject claims of inadequate healthcare under the Taliban-led government. He urged international donors to support development projects rather than limit aid to humanitarian relief. “We ask international aid agencies and countries not to mix humanitarian issues with politics. Efforts should be made to convert aid into developmental support to strengthen infrastructure here,” Muttaqi said.
Deputy Minister for Health Services Delivery Abdul Wali Haqqani stressed the significance of the new department, recalling that “thousands of families had to travel abroad for their children’s heart surgeries. Many could not afford it, and their children fell victim to the lack of medical care.”
Wahdat Alokozai, Director of Curative Medicine, added that dialysis services had previously been unavailable anywhere in Afghanistan, even in the private sector. “That’s why people were forced to seek treatment abroad. This issue will now be resolved,” he said.
Health officials said the new facilities were part of a long-term development policy to expand specialized medical services to other provinces. However, challenges remain.
The World Health Organization warned last year that nearly 30 percent of Afghanistan’s population lacks access to basic healthcare, underscoring the scale of need.
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