In his address to attendees at the ceremony, the President said:

“The treatment of patients inside Afghanistan has been my longtime dream and no doubt the wish of every Afghan over the past several years.  I am happy that we are taking another major step by laying the foundation stone for this modern hospital, and we are on the threshold of reaching our longtime goal.”

“In the past, people traveled from very remote areas to neighboring countries for treatment, but a lot has been done to facilitate such treatment inside Afghanistan.  A modern hospital was built in the province of Zabul last year, and another was built in Kabul this year with the assistance of the Government of France.”

“In addition to constructing hospitals and providing medical supplies, the goal of treating Afghans inside the country will only be reached when we train enough doctors and nurses and prevent the import of false and outdated medicine.”

President Karzai also thanked the People’s Republic of China for funding the hospital’s construction.

Sayed Muhammad Amin Fatemi, Minister of Health, said:

“After the Ministry of Health extended health services to more than 80% of Afghanistan, we started to focus our attention on services inside hospitals.  As a result, we have improved health services by 30% inside hospitals across the country.”

“In the near future, a 200-bed hospital in the Dashte Barchi area of Kabul, 100-bed hospital near Kabul International Airport, and a diagnostic and treatment center will be inaugurated in the capital.  The foundation stone for an emergency care center will also be laid in Kabul soon.”

“In line with the Government’s policy to deliver health care to all Afghans, a 50-bed hospital was recently inaugurated in Nangarhar Province.  Hospitals and health clinics will also be built in Wakhan and Eshkashem districts of Badakhshan Province and other remote parts of Afghanistan.”