Every day in Afghanistan for the past 15 years
Dejan calls us on Monday. He tells us about the two bombs that exploded near the Ministry of Defence, about the 24 patients who arrived at our hospital, about the 4 people who did not make it.
The next morning, the staff of the Surgical Centre awoke to the windows of the building trembling: another explosion, this time closer. A car bomb hit some government buildings and the office of an NGO, fortunately without casualties.
On the other side of Afghanistan, in Helmand, fighting has become increasingly intense between government forces and the Taliban, especially in the districts of Nawa and Sangin, and others are in the balance.
At least 4 public health centres have been affected during the clashes and closed in the surrounding districts of the province, depriving thousands of people of health care. Equipment and medicine has been stolen from hospitals, and doctors are unwilling to work in the area. Access to care for the population of Helmand, and all over Afghanistan, is getting harder.
In only 2 weeks in the Lashkar-gah Surgical Centre, 216 were injured: the highest number ever.
It’s been 15 years, every day, in Afghanistan. And tomorrow? Tomorrow, Emergency staff will work tirelessly to continue providing free care to those who need it.