The Ministry of Public Health has announced the successful completion of a delicate surgery on an 11-month-old girl named Gulthum (کلثوم), who was transferred from Kandahar to Kabul for emergency treatment.
Kabul 24: According to the ministry, a foreign object — a piece of bone that the child had accidentally swallowed three months earlier — was successfully removed from her respiratory system.
The complex procedure was performed at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (commonly known as Shafakhana-e Sehat-e Tifl) in Kabul.Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, highlighted the significance of this achievement.
He stated: “The important point is that if this child had come to the hospital with the same condition a few years ago, she would have been referred abroad for treatment.
Today, we perform such operations routinely inside our own hospitals across various departments.
Expanding healthcare services in the provinces and cooperating with the private sector are among our key objectives.”Dr. Mohammad Akbar Iqbal, one of the surgeons involved, explained: “The child’s respiratory system had been damaged to some extent.
The operation was carried out successfully, and the patient is now under close medical supervision and showing signs of recovery.”Gulthum, who has not yet turned one year old, endured significant suffering during the past three months.
Her family traveled from one hospital to another in search of proper treatment before she was finally airlifted to Kabul by helicopter, arranged by the Islamic Emirate.Her father, Nematullah, spoke with a face showing both exhaustion and relief: “We spent three months wandering from place to place trying to save our daughter.
We are grateful that the Islamic Emirate transferred her to Kabul by helicopter and that she received proper treatment here.” At the same time, he stressed the urgent need for better medical infrastructure in the provinces.
“They should build similar well-equipped hospitals in our provinces with all necessary facilities and specialist doctors so that families no longer face such severe difficulties.”This successful case reflects notable progress in Afghanistan’s healthcare system over the past year.
A growing number of complex surgeries that previously required sending patients abroad are now being performed domestically in both government and private hospitals.While challenges such as insufficient equipment and specialists in provincial areas remain, the Ministry of Public Health has expressed commitment to expanding advanced medical services across the country and reducing reliance on foreign treatment.
The recovery of little Gulthum brings hope not only to her family but also to many other Afghan families seeking quality healthcare for their children within the country.
