Pak-funded hospital in Kabul faces problems due to lack of funds

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan-funded Jinnah Hospital in Kabul is experiencing serious administrative and operational issues due to the non-availability of funds.

The Pak-funded hospital is not able to disburse salaries, pay the cost of medicines and meet other operational expenditures. The hospital is not even in a position to provide clean drinking water.

Pakistan Embassy in Kabul, in this context, has, therefore, requested the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider approaching an international organization, through the Afghan authorities, for necessary financial assistance, if it was not possible for Pak MoFA to resolve the outstanding issues within a short period of time.

Notably, Pakistan is facing heavy external debt and rising inflation. As Pakistan’s economic woes continue, the country’s trade deficit has been on the rise for nine consecutive months owing to an unprecedented increase in imports while exports stagnated at around USD 2.5 billion to USD 2.8 billion a month.

The federal government debt jumped to PKR 42.8 trillion by February 2022, an addition of PKR 18.1 trillion in three and a half years, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) monthly debt bulletin released on Tuesday. (ANI)