RASC News Agency: More than three years after the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s healthcare system is in deep crisis. In Kabul, severe medicine shortages, soaring treatment costs, the exodus of doctors, and mounting restrictions on international aid organizations have made access to medical care increasingly difficult. While Taliban authorities insist they are working to improve conditions, both patients and healthcare professionals paint a different picture. Once reliable public hospitals, which previously provided essential medications either free of charge or at minimal cost, are now crippled by shortages. Patients are forced to purchase medicine at exorbitant prices from private pharmacies, adding to the financial strain of an already struggling population.
Samiullah, a resident of Kabul’s fifth district, who had come to Jamhuriat Hospital for his child’s treatment, told RASC:
“I went to several hospitals, but none had the medicine we needed. In the end, I had to buy it from a pharmacy at three times the usual price.” According to healthcare sources, a sharp decline in medicine imports and worsening economic conditions are among the key drivers of this crisis. Another pressing issue is the mass migration of medical professionals. Many doctors have left Afghanistan due to job insecurity and the Taliban’s restrictive policies, further straining an already fragile system.
A doctor at Esteqlal Hospital, speaking anonymously to RASC, warned:
“We have far fewer specialists now, and it’s affecting the quality of treatment. Some patients have to wait months for even basic surgeries.” As the economic crisis deepens, rising medical costs are placing immense pressure on families. Many international organizations that once provided critical support have either scaled back operations or ceased them entirely. Zohra, a mother seeking treatment for her sick child at Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, voiced her frustration:
“There used to be charity organizations that helped, but now they’re gone. Even basic tests cost more than I can afford.”
Following the Taliban’s return to power, many global health organizations have faced significant barriers from banking restrictions and international sanctions to Taliban-imposed bureaucratic hurdles. An official from a foreign aid organization, who requested anonymity, told RASC:
“We wanted to continue our healthcare programs, but the working conditions have become unbearable. Some of our foreign colleagues were forced to leave the country.” The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health insists it is working to address the crisis.
Abdul Rahman Habib, a Taliban health ministry spokesperson, recently stated:
“We are actively working to secure medical supplies and enhance healthcare services. We are also encouraging international organizations to resume operations.”
Yet, for many in Kabul, these assurances ring hollow. As healthcare services deteriorate, the shortage of medicine, skyrocketing treatment costs, the departure of skilled doctors, and the collapse of international aid efforts have left thousands in desperate need of relief. For now, Kabul’s residents remain caught between an unresponsive healthcare system and an uncertain future waiting for promises of reform to turn into reality.
