New Delhi, Jan 22 (NationPress) On Thursday, India successfully sent 7.5 tonnes of essential cancer medications to Kabul to cater to the urgent needs of cancer patients in Afghanistan.

In a statement on X, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, mentioned, "India has delivered 7.5 tonnes of critical cancer medicines to Kabul, aiming to fulfill the pressing requirements of cancer patients. India remains devoted to assisting the friendly people of Afghanistan."

In December, Afghanistan's Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, convened with Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda in New Delhi to explore enhanced bilateral collaboration in the healthcare domain.

The discussions centered on strengthening health collaboration, exchanging knowledge among medical professionals, enhancing the capabilities of Afghan health workers, and ensuring the availability of quality medications in Afghanistan. The topics included cancer treatment, medical visas for Afghan patients, and the establishment of health facilities, as reported by Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health on X.

Jalali expressed gratitude to India for its recent contributions to the health sector and highlighted further necessities to advance Afghanistan’s healthcare system.

During their meeting, Nadda reaffirmed New Delhi's commitment to assist the Afghan populace, which includes the provision of medicines and vaccines. He confirmed that a CT scan machine, along with additional medicines and vaccines, would be dispatched to a children’s hospital in Kabul shortly.

Nadda also expressed that India is eager to facilitate medical treatment access for Afghan patients and stands ready to provide further assistance.

Following his discussions with the Afghan Health Minister, Nadda posted on X, "I had a fruitful meeting with Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, Afghan Minister of Public Health. We reaffirmed India’s dedication to ongoing humanitarian aid and healthcare collaboration with Afghanistan and explored avenues for further enhancing this partnership, particularly focusing on the long-term supply of medicines."

“We conducted a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines, showcasing India’s commitment to addressing the medical requirements of the Afghan populace. A larger shipment of medicines, vaccines, and a 128-slice CT scanner is also set to be delivered to Afghanistan,” he added.

Nadda pointed out that India has shipped 327 tonnes of medicines and vaccines to Afghanistan in the past four years. Proposals from the Afghan side for a radiotherapy machine and additional medical supplies are also under consideration.

Afghan Health Minister Jalali also engaged with Minister for AYUSH (Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy), Prataprao Jadhav, where they discussed establishing a traditional medicine institute and research center in Kabul, training practitioners, and finalizing a bilateral cooperation agreement.

“Jalali emphasized the importance of standardizing traditional medicine and mentioned that Afghanistan has begun regulating the sector, adding that India's experience is particularly valuable in this context,” stated the Afghan Ministry of Public Health.

According to the Afghan Ministry, Jadhav committed to supporting the establishment of research centers, developing curricula, and expanding future cooperation in traditional medicine.

On X, Jadhav stated, “Strengthening bilateral healthcare ties! I had a productive meeting with H.E. Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan, and Karan Yadav, Cd’A, Embassy of India, Kabul. We discussed enhancing cooperation in Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy for mutual well-being.”