KABUL, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Construction of a modern 50-bed hospital has begun in Tani district of eastern Afghanistan's Khost province at 50 million afghanis (about 781,000 U.S. dollars), a senior health official said on Thursday.
Mawlawi Abdul Wali Haqqani, deputy minister for health services, said the project forms part of a nationwide initiative to establish district-level hospitals across Afghanistan, aiming to improve access to healthcare and reduce the need for patients to travel to provincial centers for medical treatment.
The hospital will be built on five jeribs of land and is expected to be completed within 18 months.
Haqqani added that new neurosurgery and orthopedic departments have been approved for the Khost provincial and specialized hospital. He also announced plans to build a 100-bed women's and children's hospital in Khost city as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen healthcare services in the province. ■
