Afghanistan Times
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Undoubtedly in the past years, hundreds of millions of dollars had been spent to promote health sector in the country, in which, hundreds of hospitals and private clinics either repaired or newly constructed across the country. Despite that our Afghan masses don’t get standard health treatments. We have doctors, some best doctors, but there is no treatment. That’s why Afghans are flooding to neighboring countries for medical treatment. It is really unpleasant? Thousands of Afghans travel abroad in search of medical treatment. Poor healthcare and mistaken treatment in Afghanistan are causing his number to grow. For Afghan patients, a journey to foreign countries is not only stressful, but also very much expensive—the cost of a flight, hotel, translator, and treatment can add up to several thousand dollars. So, only those patients that have money can afford, but what about those who are poor, or too poor that living under meager resources. Unemployment is at boiling point, so all patients are not rich. Quality medical treatment has to be provided inside home. It is hard for poor people to go abroad. The biggest problem of our country is that we are a consumer society. We have fewer products and more we import—medicines along other accommodates is what we bring home. Afghanistan is largely reliant on imports to meet its medicine needs. There is hospital and clinic with good doctors, but poor management and control over imported medicines is a hurdle. Illegally supply of low quality and counterfeit medicines by individuals and companies is a major challenge. And that’s why patients get diagnose of their sickness, but the drugs did not heal he/she, due to poor quality. To get rid of low quality medicines, the National Medicine and Health Product Regulatory Authority (NMHPRA) said licenses of 817 drug-importing companies have been suspended. This is outstanding move. Not only licenses suspension, but the culprit has to be triggered to the court of justice for its immense crime against their own people. Dr. Noor Shah Kamawal, head of NMHPRA informed of a campaign to collect smuggled and spurious medicine in all 32 provinces. This camping will be continued for three months. Smuggling of medicines into the country is a serious problem that had to be dealt with through close monitoring, quality checks. There is no denying to the fact that three decades of war has damaged health sector and also contributed to non-professionalism. Low quality medicine in the market across the country is threatening the lives of people despite related officials have taken stringent measures to put a check poor quality drugs.
