When one thinks of Afghanistan, war is often the first word that comes to mind. We hear the ongoing war in Afghanistan consistently reported in the media, but what you don’t hear about is the country’s deteriorated health system. Since the start of the war on terrorism in 2001, there have been over 1,000 U.S. soldiers killed, but more Afghan children under the age of 5 will die in one year due to inadequate medical care.
Before the start of the Afghan wars in 1978, Afghanistan had a decently modern health care system, but after years of being ravaged by war, the World Health Organization(WHO) reports that today the country is considered one of the most dangerous places for a child to be born. The infant, child and maternal mortality rate is among the highest in the world.
Inspired to do something to improve the health problems in Afghanistan, the Assemi family of Fresno, Calif. funded the development of a medical clinic outside Kabul. After four years of planning and construction, the modest clinic turned into Afshar Hospital, an 85-bed facility, and led to the creation of American Medical Overseas Relief(AMOR), whose mission is to improve the health of impoverished people in the Middle East.
“It’s amazing what health improvements can be made just by providing basic medical care and education on issues, such as the health risks associated with certain cultural traditions like giving birth in the home,” said Dr. Mark Scoffield, Medical Director of AMOR.
The first baby born at Afshar was to a young Afghan woman, who came in to give birth to her ninth baby. All of her previous eight babies had died during childbirth, and seven of those children she had delivered at home. When this mother’s ninth baby came out of the womb at Afshar, it wasn’t breathing. Initially, the nurses pronounced it dead, but other staff stepped in and stimulated the baby’s breathing with a little oxygen, and soon, she had a healthy baby boy.
“This is a perfect example of how employing simple, inexpensive medical techniques and resources can save lives. It doesn’t take hundreds of thousands of dollars and fancy machines to make a significant impact on healthcare in Afghanistan,” said Dr. Scoffield.
Afshar Hospital opened its doors in April 2009, and was built for and operated by Afghans, employing 110 Afghan medical professionals. The first month Afshar saw 800 patients, but in one year, that number has grown to an average 3,000, with some patients traveling 70-80 miles.
To supply the hospital with the necessary medical supplies and equipment, Dr. Scoffield came to MedShare. After visiting the Western Region and seeing our innovative model for recovering and redistributing medical supplies and equipment, it became obvious to Dr. Scoffield that partnering with MedShare would be a win-win relationship.
“The online inventory makes it convenient to catalogue available medical items and for the medical staff at Afshar to go through and determine exactly what fits the hospital’s needs,” said Dr. Scoffield.
Our first 40-foot container of medical supplies and equipment shipped to Afshar Hospital in June 2009. The second shipment left MedShare’s Western Region in May of this year, and will arrive in the Port of Karachi, Pakistan and then make a long, treacherous journey along the historic silk road through the Khyber Pass before arriving in Kabul.
“Despite challenging working conditions, AMOR is dedicated to providing a standard of healthcare the people of Afghanistan deserve. We are delighted to continue working with them to aid in their mission of improving the level of healthcare in this war-torn country,” said Chuck Haupt, Executive Director, MedShare Western Region.
