New Delhi, Dec 18 (NationPress) Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, engaged in discussions with Afghanistan's Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, during his visit to New Delhi on Thursday. Their talks revolved around healthcare cooperation, ensuring a long-term supply of pharmaceutical products, and fostering development initiatives within the health sector.

In a post shared on X, Singh remarked, "I had a productive discussion with Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, H.E. Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali today. We delved into bilateral issues, emphasizing healthcare cooperation, the enduring supply of pharmaceutical products, and collaborative development efforts in the health domain. This reaffirms India’s commitment to bolstering the health security of the Afghan populace."

Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali also convened with Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda on Wednesday, where they explored avenues to enhance bilateral cooperation in healthcare.

According to a post from Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health on X, "The discussions centered on enhancing health cooperation, exchanging expertise among medical professionals, training Afghan health workers, and guaranteeing a steady supply of quality medications to Afghanistan. Topics like cancer treatment, medical visas for Afghan patients, and support for health facilities were also addressed."

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

During the meeting, Nadda reiterated India's dedication to assisting the Afghan people, particularly through the provision of medicines and vaccines. He confirmed that a CT scan machine, along with other medications and vaccines, would soon be dispatched to a children's hospital in Kabul.

Nadda assured that India would strive to facilitate access to medical treatments for Afghan patients and would be ready to provide additional assistance.

Following his discussions with the Afghan Health Minister, Nadda shared on X, "I had a fruitful meeting with Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, the Afghan Minister of Public Health. I reaffirmed India’s commitment to ongoing humanitarian support and healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan and explored ways to strengthen our collaboration, particularly in terms of the long-term supply of medicines."

“I symbolically handed over cancer medicines and vaccines, showcasing India’s commitment to addressing the medical needs of the Afghan people. A larger shipment of medicines, vaccines, and a 128-slice CT scanner is also on its way to Afghanistan,” he noted.

Nadda highlighted that India has supplied 327 tonnes of medicines and vaccines to Afghanistan in the last four years, and proposals for a radiotherapy machine and additional medical supplies from the Afghan side are under review.

The Afghan Health Minister Jalali also met with Minister for AYUSH (Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy), Prataprao Jadhav, where they discussed the establishment of a traditional medicine institute and research center in Kabul, training practitioners, and signing a mutual cooperation agreement.

“Jalali mentioned the importance of standardizing traditional medicine and noted that Afghanistan had initiated regulatory measures for the sector, emphasizing that India’s expertise would be particularly beneficial,” stated the Afghan Ministry of Public Health.

As per the Afghan Ministry, Jadhav pledged support for the creation of research centers, development of educational curricula, and the expansion of collaboration in traditional medicine in the future.

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