RASC News Agency: Several residents of Herat province in western Afghanistan confirm that the exorbitant costs of surgical operations have financially crippled the populace. Basir Ahmad Niazi, a resident of Herat, told RASC News on Friday, May 31, that nearly three months ago, he took his wife to a private hospital for surgery, and within two nights, he had to pay the doctors 40,000 kabuli rupees.
He continued, stating that this amount is an exorbitant expense that residents of Herat must bear for just two nights of medical care in private hospitals. He remarked, “The current situation is national plunder, where everyone tries to exploit others to get their work done.”
Niazi added, “The Taliban also collect their taxes from hospitals, which essentially amounts to hush money, further impoverishing and disheartening the people.” Isa, another resident of Herat, told RASC, “At the provincial hospital, there is no proper care for patients, and no one is held accountable for solving patients’ problems.”
He noted that as long as the Taliban remain in Afghanistan, the situation will not improve. He highlighted that the lack of care in the provincial hospital and the exorbitant costs of private hospitals together exacerbate the people’s suffering. Raban Jamshidi, a civil activist in Afghanistan, told RASC News that the Taliban’s oversight of the healthcare sector, particularly in Herat, has become a significant challenge for families.
He explained that all educated and specialized medical professionals have left Afghanistan due to Taliban restrictions, forcing the people to endure this dire situation. Jamshidi added that the few remaining doctors in Herat and other provinces are looking to flee the country due to the Taliban’s mismanagement.
Taliban officials in Herat’s public health administration have not commented on this report.
