Indira Gandhi Children Hospital has cut down trees to use as cooking fuel in its kitchen as the hospital faces severe economic problems.

The head of the hospital, Mohammad Latif Bahir, said that the hospital cut down the trees planted in its yard to cook food for patients and employees.  

“With the fall of the former government and the shortage of international aid, we face a lack of fuel. We were obliged to use the trees planted in the yard of the hospital to provide food for the patients and staff,” said Mohammad Latif Bahir, head of the hospital.  

A foreign organization provided the hospital with fuel for one month.  

“A foreign organization pledged to provide fuel for a period of one month. If the fuel problem is not solved, the hospital will again be forced to cut down the trees,” said a person in charge of the logistic affairs at the hospital.  

The hospital is in the meantime is struggling with an overwhelming number of patients. The doctors voiced concerns about being unpaid in the past four months.  

“We have not received our salaries in almost four months. We are facing a lot of problems. Lack of good food and equipment,” said Royena, a doctor.  

Earlier, the Health Ministry said that the health sector in Afghanistan was facing severe crisis.