Afghanistan's only COVID-19 facility in Kabul faces shortage of supplies, drugs: Report

Afghanistan’s only COVID-19 facility in Kabul for more than 4 million people is struggling with a lack of supplies and funding to appropriately attend severely ill patients, reported Associated Press. Even though COVID-19 cases in Taliban-controlled, war-ravd country are lower than peak a few months ago, hospital system of nation is nearing collapse as it survives solely with help of aid groups, as per report.  news ncy quoted Dr Ahm Fatah Habibyar, hospital’s ministration logistics manr as saying, “We face many problems here”.

Reportedly, Afghanistan-Japan Hospital has run out of diesel fuel which is essential to produce oxygen for severe patients of COVID-19. It is also falling short of or supplies such as drugs, equipment and food. Habibyar said, “Oxygen is a big issue for us because we can’t run generators” and ded that hospital could t “afford diesel."

Staffers have t been paid for months

AP also stated that apart from short of supplies, staffers have also t been paid for several months. However, y are still continuing to show up for work. As per report, HealthNet TPO program manr Willem Reussing said, “ health care system ... is really on brink of collapsing… Afghan-Japan Hospital is a dire example, where we are nearly begging dors to step in and save lives.” ditionally, Dr Shereen Agha who runs Afghanistan-Japan Hospital’s intensive care unit has said that “we are t rey for Omicron” while ding, “A disaster will be here”. Under former government of Afghanistan, hospital was being mand by Nerlands-based group, HealthNet TPO. But, that contact ran in vember, stated AP. Prior to that, facility was funded through World bank but it has frozen assets since Taliban took over nation in August. 

Subsequently, as Taliban reconquered Afghanistan, several or international entities also froze aid and Afghan assets. Mounting on health concerns, Afghanistan is also facing a broer ecomic and humanitarian crisis as Taliban-led ministration struggles to be recognised by international community. In an October report, United Nation’s (UN) World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization found that nearly half of country’s population faced high levels of acute food insecurity between September and October.

Im: Unsplash/AP