RASC News Agency: Reports from Herat reveal that healthcare workers from nine medical centers in the province initiated a strike on Tuesday due to the failure of the Taliban and the Organization for the Promotion of Health Management (OPHM) to pay their salaries. The employees allege that they have not received their wages for the past three months, leading to mounting frustration and protests.
Among the affected centers are Ghorian District Hospital, Maslakh Community Health Center, Shindand District Hospital, Gozara Hospital, and others. The striking workers have criticized both OPHM and the Taliban for their negligence in resolving the issue. Despite repeated pleas, the Taliban have shown indifference, neither addressing the workers’ concerns nor taking steps to pay the outstanding salaries. Additionally, some government-run hospitals have joined the strike, intensifying the healthcare crisis in the region. OPHM, which has been responsible for the salary disbursement of healthcare personnel across Herat, has reportedly failed to process payments for the last four months.
The OPHM, established in 2010 as a non-governmental organization (NGO) and registered with the Ministry of Economy, serves as part of a coalition overseeing health services in Afghanistan. Despite its role, the Taliban have insisted that the organization also pay the wages of clinic guards many of whom are Taliban affiliates which OPHM has refused to cover.
This development exacerbates Afghanistan’s ongoing healthcare crisis, as the nation faces chronic shortages of doctors and medical staff. Over the last three years, the wages of healthcare workers have largely been funded by international aid organizations, but recent delays in salary payments have further destabilized the already precarious healthcare system.
