Emergency hospital opens in Kabul

A sophisticated mobile emergency hospital opened in Kabul at the weekend to deal with the reproductive health needs of the Afghan capital's rapidly growing population. United Nations statistics indicate that Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world - with 1,700 deaths per 100,000 live births. "We expect to handle 20 to 30 births every day, as well as about 2,000 medical inquiries. "We will be operational 24 hours a day and operate the emergency room, surgical theatres and maternity ward around the clock," Danish trauma surgeon and chief medical officer of the mobile hospital, Dr Finn Warburg said in a statement. Most of the country's medical facilities are in disrepair or have been completely destroyed and the health needs are rising rapidly, particularly in Kabul, where thousands of refugees are returning from neighbouring countries and from other parts of Afghanistan. The 72-bed Danish mobile hospital is expected to fill the gap while the city's run-down 52-bed Khair Khana Maternity and Child Hospital in the capital undergoes extensive repair until March 2003. The unit was secured by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with support from the governments of Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway. The Danish government is supplying independent funding for the project and its unit has been used before in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Gujarat, India, after the devastating earthquake there last year. The unit has the ability to be transported to any emergency situation and assembled on the ground. "Afghan women urgently need access to reproductive health care services. This hospital is one small step towards saving the lives of countless women and children," UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid said. Dr Mahroof Nadim, director of the Khair Khana hospital, and whom will be running the new unit jointly with Dr Warburg, said: "I feel confident that this partnership will upgrade the skills of my staff and we will all work together to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and to serve Kabul better every day." Eight Danish doctors, nurses and technicians, and about 100 Afghan medical personnel from Khair Khana hospital, will staff the mobile hospital. "The training of our Afghan colleagues will begin immediately once the hospital is operational. Doctors and nurses will receive training and staff will be rotated through all the areas of the hospital," Dr Warburg said. State-of-the art equipment at the unit is similar to that which will be installed at the Khair Khana hospital. Reconstruction priorities jointly determined by the UN and the Afghan administration include strengthening maternal health services, with an initial focus on rebuilding health infrastructure. According to UNFPA: "The mobile hospital is ready to handle complicated pregnancies and births and will also provide treatment for reproductive health and sexually transmitted infections."