Afghanistan is faced with a lack of oxygen for COVID-19 patients and the Ministry of Public Health has not succeeded in coping with the challenge despite installing oxygen processing equipment at hospitals.

“The third wave is as high as it is out of control. The oxygen processing equipment is not enough for today’s needs. Also, the oxygen processing machine that has been installed at Ali Jinnah Hospital is for 200 patients normally. Now, it cannot serve 35 patients,” the acting minister of public health, Wahid Majroh, said.

Afghanistan reported 1,804 new positive cases of COVID-19 out of 5,070 samples tested in the last 24 hours.

Figures by the Public Health Ministry indicate that 71 deaths and 296 recoveries from COVID-19 have occurred in the same period.

Majroh, who addressed lawmakers in the parliament, warned that the COVID-19 crisis will deepen and will affect every home if people remain indifferent to health advice.

“You should take the health advice seriously otherwise a crisis will happen that nothing will change, even if we regret it for one more year,” Majroh said.

He said that the figures provided by the health department on daily COVID-19 deaths are far less than the actual numbers.

A new machine for the production of oxygen became operational at Afghan Japan Hospital this week, but patients said the lack of oxygen still exists there.

“My father died due to lack of oxygen,” said Mahdi, a relative of a COVID-19 patient.

“There is a lack of oxygen. We ask the government to address this problem,” said Mohsin, a relative of a COVID-19 patient.

The head of the hospital, Zalmay Reshtin, said the installation of the machine reached 20% more patients than were previously treated.

“There is a lack of oxygen in the market. Meanwhile, there is an increase in the number of patients,” he said.

At least 160 patients are under treatment at the Afghan Japan Hospital who are all in critical condition and in need of oxygen, doctors say.

“The weakness of the Ministry of Public Health in the management of applying preventive measures and the lack of oxygen in the country’s hospitals is a crisis,” Wolesi Jirga Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani said. 

Some lawmakers praised efforts by health workers, but others criticized the public health ministry for recent appointments.

“The use of force is a solution to apply lockdown measures. Our people are still indifferent to health advice,” said Yarbaz Hamidi, head of the health committee of the parliament.

“Considering the lack of attention by the people, hundreds are expected to die each day,” said Sadiq Qaderi, head of the complaints commission of the Wolesi Jirga.

Referring to appointments, Majroh said that such appointments have not been made by him.