Publish dateMonday 1 June 2020 - 11:14
Story Code : 211153
Office Term Ends for ‘Best’ Minister of Public Health
Minister of Public Health (MoPH) Ferozuddin Feroz announced that his five-year-term at the Ministry leading Afghanistan’s healthcare had officially ended even as the country continues to combat the spread of the Coronavirus. He took to his social media account to announce the end of his mission on Sunday evening.
Feroz tweeted out his farewell message: “It has been a great pleasure to serve as a leader of the MoPH for more than five year. I would like to thank all my colleagues for supporting me during my tenure at MoPH.I did my best to utilize all the available resources to bring positive changes in the healthcare system of Afghanistan.”
Feroz joined the MoPH in 2002 as Deputy Minister of Technical Affairs. He became one of the ministers nominated by Abdullah Abdullah, the former chief executive director of Afghanistan in 2015.
When he was awarded the “Best Minister in the World” at the World Government Summit-2019, other ministry officials had lauded his efforts for reforming the Afghan healthcare system. He came to be known for his decisions-making and initiatives to reform the sector.
Speaking to Reporterly at the time, Feroz said that his greatest achievement was the expansion of people’s access to health services, emphasizing that he had established more than 400 health centres during his first two years in office.
This change comes amidst the country’s continued fight against the Coronavirus which brought Feroz to the limelight.
According to official figures, 15,205 people across the country have been infected by COVID-19 so far. Of those, 257 died and another 1,328 recovered.
Many have criticized how Afghanistan has struggle to enforce the lockdown, do adequate testing, and educate the people about the pandemic. The ministry has also struggled with an equipment and personnel shortage.
Feroz has been replaced by Ahmad Javad Osmani who was appointed the acting Minister of Public Health by President Ashraf Ghani.
Iran’s Assistance to Afghanistan
Iran sent over 11 tons of medical equipment announced the Afghan MoPH. Bahador Aminian, Iran’s envoy to Kabul, handed over the packages of medical aid to the Afghan government to combat the Coronavirus.
According to the MoPH, these aids include COVID-19 detection kits, ventilators, masks and disinfectants.
Remote Treatment via Telemedicine
Meanwhile, the MoPH launched a new initiativeto expand healthcare access and delivery – Afghanistan’s first Telemedicine Centre in Kabul.
Wahid Majrooh, Deputy from the MoPH, and Omar Mansour Ansari, Head of the Afghan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA), inaugurated the centre at the Jamhoriat Hospital on Sunday. Majrooh said that the MoPH will be installing 57 other Telemedicine centres to connect hospitals across 34 provinces. The project was funded by the Telecommunication Development Fund (TDF) budget.
According to the MoPH, the Telemedicine programme gives doctors a wireless method to consult, diagnose and treat patients remotely. Patients can also access specialist diagnosis and consultations with national and international experts. to be used in the better treatment of patients.
“The Telemedicine program will try to cure the pain of all the citizens of the country,” Majrooh said. He called it a great start to connect Kabul’s top medical professionals with hospitals in other provinces and with other countries. This knowledge exchange would be beneficial to everyone.
Source : Afghan Voice Agency(AVA)
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