KABUL (Tolo News): The union of pharmacy owners said that the over 50 trucks loaded with medical supplies have been stopped at the borders for unknown reasons. The union warned that if the trucks are not allowed to enter Afghanistan, there will be a severe shortage of medical supplies across the country within the next month.
“The medicine factories are faced with a shortage of medicine and the important medicine is used up,” said Azizullah Shafiq, a member of the union. “If this situation continues, Afghanistan will face a serious crisis of medical supplies.” The majority of medical supplies are imported to Afghanistan from foreign countries.
Shukrullah, a resident of Kabul, said: “The doctor gave me this prescription. I have been searching for this medicine for the last three days but couldn’t find it. The important medicines don’t exist.” The owners of the medicine factories said that many factories stopped operating due to a shortage of medicine elements.
The chief inspector of medical factories, Abdul Karim Khosti, said: “The flights are suspended and the customs stopped many trucks with medical products and now many factories lack access to medical materials to produce medicine.” Pharmacy owners voiced concerned, saying that the stopped flow of medical supplies at the border is affecting their business. “The increasing rate of the dollar and closure of ground borders and suspension of flights caused us to face a shortage of drugs,” said Abdullah, a pharmacy owner. Earlier, the World Health Organization warned that due to the suspension of flights, the public hospitals in Afghanistan are facing a shortage of medical supplies.