Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has praised India’s long-standing support for Afghanistan’s healthcare sector, describing Indian medical visas as a “vital humanitarian channel” for Afghan patients.

In an interview with an Indian television network, during his official visit to New Delhi, Jalali said Afghans have long relied on India for medical treatment, noting that the facilitation of medical visas has enabled thousands of patients to access advanced healthcare services in recent years.

He welcomed India’s contributions to Afghanistan’s health infrastructure, highlighting the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul as one of the country’s most important pediatric hospitals.

India has supported the facility through the establishment of a thalassemia center, a modern diagnostic unit, upgrades to heating systems, and plans to provide a CT scan machine.

Jalali said India is also planning to build a 30-bed hospital in Kabul’s Bagrami district, which is expected to include an oncology center, a trauma unit, and maternal and child healthcare clinics.

He added that India has fitted around 75 Afghan patients with prosthetic limbs under the Jaipur Foot program and donated 20 ambulances.

During talks with India’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jalali called for expanded cooperation in medical equipment, pharmaceutical regulation, training of healthcare workers, and the supply of essential medicines, particularly cancer drugs. He said India has pledged to provide these medicines on an urgent basis.

The Afghan health minister stressed the importance of capacity building, including training Afghan doctors in India and deploying Indian medical teams to Afghanistan.

He also said agreements have been reached to cooperate in traditional medicine, including Ayurveda and Unani practices, with plans to establish a Traditional Medicine Institute and Research Center in Afghanistan.

Jalali noted that Afghanistan has diversified its pharmaceutical import routes to ensure a steady supply of medicines and address concerns over counterfeit and substandard drugs through stronger regulation.

He described Afghanistan–India relations as people-centric and rooted in humanitarian values, expressing hope that cooperation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and medical infrastructure will continue to deepen.