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Funding issues in Afghanistan have led to the closure of nearly 50 per cent of hospitals that used to treat COVID-19 patients, leaving many Afghans waiting for treatment, reported Sputnik.
The unavailability of the funds began soon after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have suspended financial aid to the country, and the US has frozen billions of dollars in assets belonging to the Afghan Central Bank following the takeover, said Sputnik. Even the banking system in Afghanistan is under a profound crisis and it could collapse if appropriate measures are not taken timely. In Afghanistan, nearly 38 hospitals were equipped to treat COVID-19 patients when the pandemic hit the country. Currently, 17 hospitals among 38 are operational, while the remaining have been closed. With regard to again start receiving the funding of remaining hospitals, Afghan Health Ministry has said that it is negotiating with international sponsors some of the international organizations have agreed to finance them. So far, Afghanistan has reported more than 15,00,000 COVID-19 infections and over 7,000 fatalities. (ANI)
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