Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 22: India on Thursday dispatched 7.5 tonnes of critical cancer medicines to Kabul, reinforcing its ongoing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and addressing the urgent medical needs of cancer patients in the country.
Confirming the delivery, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting the Afghan people, particularly in the healthcare sector, where shortages of essential medicines continue to pose serious challenges.
The latest consignment follows high-level discussions held in New Delhi last month between Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, and India’s Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda. The talks focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in healthcare, including the exchange of medical expertise, training of Afghan health professionals, and ensuring a steady supply of quality medicines.
Cancer care, facilitation of medical visas for Afghan patients, and assistance to health infrastructure were among the key issues discussed. Jalali expressed appreciation for India’s continued support and highlighted additional requirements to strengthen Afghanistan’s fragile healthcare system.
Nadda reiterated India’s commitment to humanitarian assistance and confirmed that further medical support is on the way, including medicines, vaccines and a CT scan machine for a children’s hospital in Kabul. He also assured that efforts would be made to simplify access to medical treatment in India for Afghan patients.
In a social media post following the meeting, Nadda described the engagement as productive and said India is working towards long-term cooperation with Afghanistan, particularly in ensuring sustained supplies of essential medicines. He added that while a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines had taken place, a larger shipment—including a 128-slice CT scanner—was also being sent.
According to Nadda, India has supplied a total of 327 tonnes of medicines and vaccines to Afghanistan over the past four years. Requests from the Afghan side for additional equipment, including a radiotherapy machine, are currently under consideration.
During his visit, Jalali also met Minister of AYUSH Prataprao Jadhav to explore collaboration in traditional systems of medicine. The discussions included plans to establish a traditional medicine institute and research centre in Kabul, training of practitioners, and formalising cooperation through a bilateral agreement. Jalali emphasised the importance of standardising traditional medicine in Afghanistan and said India’s expertise in the field would be particularly valuable.
Jadhav assured continued support for research, curriculum development and future collaboration in traditional medicine and homoeopathy, noting that such partnerships could contribute to long-term healthcare capacity-building in Afghanistan.
The latest aid delivery underscores India’s broader approach of combining humanitarian assistance with institutional cooperation to support the Afghan people amid ongoing challenges.