Advanced Surgeries Begin in Herat, Treating Patients Domestically Amid Pakistan Border Closure
Herat Public Health Directorate has announced that, following the closure of Pakistan’s border crossings and a decrease in patients traveling abroad, advanced and complex surgeries have been performed for the first time in the province.
According to information from the directorate, new medical services now available in Herat’s health centers include surgeries for brain and spinal tumors, esophageal and stomach cancers, lung and liver cancers, as well as the removal of malignant jaw and thyroid tumors.
Ghulam Mohammad Hanifi, deputy director of Herat Public Health, stated that patients who previously had to travel abroad for such treatments can now receive care within the country. He added that with increased skills and experience of doctors, the need for treatment abroad has sharply decreased.
Several patients in Herat say that with the availability of these services, they have received treatment locally and no longer need to travel to neighboring countries for surgeries.
One of the performed surgeries was the removal of a brain tumor, considered a highly complex operation. Dr. Mohammed Younis Iqbal, a neurosurgeon, said that such surgeries are limited worldwide and mostly conducted in European countries and the United States.
The Herat Public Health Directorate also noted that in recent months, dozens of Afghan specialist doctors have returned to the province from various countries. Officials say this move has played an important role in strengthening health services and reducing the need for patients to seek treatment abroad.
