The Association of Obstetric Gynecology expressed concern about the lack of female medical doctors specialized in gynecology and obstetrics in some provinces of the country.  

Members of the association meeting at a symposium on capacity-building for female doctors in Kabul called on the Ministry of Public Health to create more opportunities for female doctors to travel and learn in foreign countries. 

The meeting was focused on improving the capacity of female doctors and preventing the deaths of mothers and infants, said an official. 

“There are lots of challenges in the way of sending female doctors for capacity-building but … before this also there were issues in sending them to foreign countries,” said Najmulsama Shefajo, head of the Association of Obstetric Gynecology. 

“We have lots of problems in provinces where there are no specialist female doctors, and we face a lack of specialist female doctors to train new doctors; recruitment in this area is still low. We have many new doctors but like last year among 1,900 doctors we were able to recruit 300 doctors in this area,” said Shinkai Wardak, a doctor. 

Meanwhile, some doctors that participated in the symposium on capacity-building welcomed these kind of programs and called on the government to make more educational opportunities for female doctors, especially doctors in gynecology and obstetrics.

“We ask for these kinds of conferences, especially for female doctors to increase their level of awareness. They can treat their patients well,” Robina Rahman, a Doctor. 

The symposium was held by several female doctors that are members of the association.

The head of the symposium called on donors and especially on the World Health Organization to build standard hospitals for gynecology and obstetrics in the country.