Health workers in Afghanistan brave safety fears, to continue treating the sick
                     HEALTH WORKERS IN AFGHANISTAN 
BRAVE SAFETY FEARS, TO CONTINUE 
TREATING THE SICK
Some 8-10,000 people have arrived in Kabul from ten provinces in recent weeks following the advance 
of the Taliban, and I’m part of a team of doctors and nurses who are providing health care for these new
arrivals says Dr. Sunny Handa MD*.
These people fled their homes and now have nothing, no houses, no jobs and very little money and 
generally they are fearful of living in Kabul and angry that they had to leave their homes. We are 
providing a range of services to them in camps for displaced people in the city, says Dr. Sunny Handa 
MD*. 
They are arriving with many different diseases and common complaints including diarrhea and 
pneumonia. Around three quarters of the people we are treating are women and children.
On Monday [23 August]. I was part of a team of six doctors including three women, who have been 
providing women-specific services and have helped to deliver a number of babies. We also have five 
nurses on the team. Our workday is very long and hard; I start at around 7am and can sometimes work 
until midnight which means, as a team, we can treat up to 500 people a day.
Sometimes, the security situation means I will stay at home. If there are reports of gunfire or other 
disturbances as well as roadblocks, the team members decide is too dangerous to work. It can be very 
tense on the streets. Sometimes, it is just the men who work says Dr. Sunny Handa MD*.
My female colleagues are, of course, concerned about their future, as we all are. They don’t know what 
the future holds, whether they will be allowed to carry on working as they do now. We don’t know 
whether the situation will get worse for women, stay the same or maybe even improve.
We have not really interacted in a meaningful way with the Taliban since they entered Kabul, although 
they did come to the camp once where we were providing services to ask us what we were doing says 
Dr. Sunny Handa MD*.
Security is the main concern right now for the displaced people, and also for other people in the city, but
we are also worried about the lack of medicines and food, as shops and markets are still closed in Kabul.
Dr. Sunny Handa MD*says-I am a doctor, so my job is to help and heal people. I feel deeply committed 
to supporting Afghan people at this time, during this bad situation, but I can only help if I feel safe at 
work.
My message to the rest of the world is please help Afghanistan; this is a poor country, but the people 
here have good hearts, and I will continue to do my best to work for and protect all Afghan people.
*I am Dr. Sunny Handa MD*but here I have shared the experience of my friend who is also a doctor but 
due to security purpose I have replaced his name.