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Health ministry signs MoU with Lahore University to support Kabul hospital
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Tuesday between Pakistan’s Lahore University and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health for ongoing support, both financially and technically, of the Mohammad Ali Jinnah Hospital in Kabul.
This hospital, in the west of the capital, has been supported by the Pakistan government for the past few years.
The visiting delegation agreed on Tuesday to not only continue providing the hospital with medical equipment but also turn the hospital into a training facility.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul, Mansoor Ahmad Khan meanwhile said that the university would help run the hospital.
“Afghan Minister of Public Health H.E. Dr. Qalandar Ebad and a team from University of Lahore signed a Letter of Understanding for assistance in running M. A. Jinnah Hospital Kabul and upgrade its facilities to make it a teaching hospital,” Ahmad Khan tweeted on Tuesday.
He said: “The cost has not been estimated yet because it is an ongoing project, but Lahore University provides monthly assistance with medical equipment, technical equipment and training for the hospital’s doctors.”
The IEA’s Ministry of Public Health welcomed the university’s move to increase the hospital’s technical and human resources’ capacity.
However, Ebad said they did not sign the MoU with the ambassador of Pakistan to Kabul nor with the Pakistan government. He said the MoU was with the university.
“We didn’t sign this agreement with the ambassador of Pakistan but with the hospital delegation from Lahore. The delegation from Lahore wants to make the hospital professional, technical and capable,” Ebad said.
In addition to improving the hospital and its services, the university will also pay the salaries of staff and other expenses.
The non-payment of salaries over the past few months has been a serious cause of concern for staff at the hospital.
According to them, they have faced serious financial pressure due to not having received salaries, which were paid by the former government.
“We are asking the (new)
government to pay us our salaries because we are facing countless problems,” said Abdul Ghafoor, a health worker at the hospital.
According to the IEA officials, this type of cooperation will be extended to a number of other hospitals that were built and supported by Pakistan in the last few years.
Matiul Haq Khalis, Director General of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), left for Baku on Friday at the head of an official delegation to participate in the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), a major international gathering focused on sustainable urban development and environmental challenges.
The forum, organized by UN-Habitat, is scheduled to take place from May 17 to 22 in the Azerbaijani capital under the theme “Housing for All: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.”
According to Afghan officials, the delegation will participate in a series of technical meetings and discussions on climate change, environmental protection in urban areas, sustainable development, waste management, green cities, air pollution control and strengthening urban resilience.
The World Urban Forum is regarded as one of the world’s leading platforms on urbanization and environmental policy, bringing together government officials, mayors, international organizations, climate experts and development institutions from across the globe.
On the sidelines of the event, Khalis and accompanying officials are also expected to meet with representatives of international organizations, donor agencies and foreign governments to discuss environmental cooperation, technical support and future joint initiatives.
Afghanistan’s environmental authority described participation in the forum as an important opportunity to expand international engagement, exchange experiences and seek practical solutions to the country’s growing environmental and urban challenges.
The visit comes as Afghanistan faces increasing concerns over climate-related risks, rapid urbanization, air pollution and environmental degradation, issues that officials say require broader regional and international cooperation.
Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday that Afghanistan remains a major focus for Washington in terms of terrorist activity and regional security threats.
Speaking during a hearing before lawmakers, Cooper said Afghanistan continues to be “on the forefront” of U.S. monitoring efforts regarding militant groups.
“Afghanistan remains on the forefront of what we are watching in terms of terrorist activity,” he told the committee.
The CENTCOM commander added that the United States is working closely with regional partners to contain and suppress potential threats emerging from Afghanistan.
The remarks come as U.S. officials continue to express concerns over the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American forces from the country in 2021.
The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied presence of militant groups in Afghanistan, emphasizing that it will not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), met on Thursday with Johannes Bruwer, the newly appointed head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and received a copy of his credentials.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that during the meeting, Muttaqi described relations between Afghanistan and the ICRC as historic, congratulated Bruwer on the start of his mission in Afghanistan, wished him success, and assured him of full cooperation in advancing humanitarian efforts.
Muttaqi also praised the services of Katharina Ritz, the outgoing head of the organization, and commended the activities carried out during her mission in Afghanistan. He also wished her success in her future responsibilities.
For his part, Bruwer expressed pleasure over the beginning of his mission in Afghanistan and pledged to continue providing humanitarian services in close coordination with the relevant institutions of the Islamic Emirate during his tenure.
Meanwhile, Ritz thanked the institutions of the Islamic Emirate for their cooperation and support throughout her mission and described her tenure as full of achievements and positive memories.
At the end of the meeting, both sides emphasized the expansion of bilateral cooperation in humanitarian affairs and the strengthening of mutual engagement.
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