Officials at the Public Health Ministry said Monday that the health sector in Afghanistan has been struggling with a severe crisis as aid provided by the international community for the health sector has been suspended.  

The deputy minister of health services provision, Abdul Bari Omar, blamed the former government for relying on the international community to provide for health sector facilities.  

“A government received millions of dollars of aid, and  provided support for the health industry, but still there is no fundamental work in the health sector. The development of the health sector is around 5.5 percent,” he said.  

According to Omar, the salaries of health workers have also not been paid for a long time due to a reduction in assistance to the Afghan health sector. Some of the health centers have stopped their operations, he added.  

The citizens also expressed frustration over the reduction in medical supplies across the country.  

“We request that the hospitals be supported as before so the hospitals can provide proper services to our people” said Noorullah, a patient.  

The health minister said Afghans spent 240 million dollars abroad for medical treatment annually. He pledged that the ministry was working to improve the health sector to provide health facilities for the people inside the country.

“We should find ways to become independent. We are taking practical measures to work on it,” he added.   

Based on the health ministry’s statistics, more than 2.3 million children face malnutrition.