NEW DELHI: Abdul Agha is all of 31. And of these three decades, he has spent 10 years fighting extremists as part of the Afghan police in the eastern province of the war-ravaged country called Logar. Last year, he lost his eyes and a hand in a blast. It is the hope to regain his vision and a prosthetic limb that has brought Agha to Delhi.
His visit has been facilitated by Afghanistan’s National Security Council Adviser Zubair Massoud, as Agha’s last visit had proved to be futile. Legendary mujahideen fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud’s nephew Zubair who thinks that India can play a greater role in treating Afghan soldiers injured in the terror attacks, said, “Our most important concern is treating wounded soldiers and officers, who are battling global terrorism in Afghanistan.”
“The men and women, who risk their lives to keep the world safe, deserve better medical treatment abroad. India and its people who have always stood by our side can play a vital role in taking this responsibility,” Massoud told The Sunday Standard acknowledging India’s contribution in providing medical treatment to Afghan citizens. “It will not only boost the morale of armed forces but also reiterate the friendship between both nations.”
Agha is among the hundreds of thousands of Afghanis who have been maimed and injured during the second bout of the protracted conflict in the country raging on since 2001.
On a daily average, 10-20 soldiers are getting injured or killed in the terror attacks.
In Kasturba Colony of Lajpat Nagar-2, which has become the heart of a sizeable Afghan community in the national capital, Agha sat with dark shades covering his eyes. His eye balls were eviscerated post bomb blast. Since then, he has not been able to see her three daughters. “I want to see my daughters again,” he said with the help of a fellow countryman Shapoor Zarifi acting as the interpreter. The blast might have left scars on his face but has not debilitated his spirits.
Logar, once part of the Indian Mauryan Empire, was place for fierce battle between Mujahideen and Russian forces and this earned it the sobriquet of “Bab al-Jihad” (Gates of Jihad).
The medical tourism has been part of the Indian government’s soft diplomacy in the war-torn country. It has been treating the soldiers and victims of terror attacks for free. “We are trying to what can be done. We are giving free treatment to the soldiers,” a high ranking MEA official said.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi has also signed an MoU with nine Indian hospitals to facilitate smoother, transparent and economical health services to Afghan patients in India. The Indian hospitals would also contribute in capacity building of Afghan’s health and pharma sector, tele-medicine, tele-radiology and medical tourism. As per agreement, the Indian hospitals will also be given land, electricity and other facilities in Afghanistan on the same footing as Afghan hospitals.