In a significant humanitarian gesture, India has granted more than 500 visas to Afghan nationals over the past four months. A substantial portion of these, over 200, are specifically for medical purposes, ensuring Afghan patients can access critical treatment in India despite severe challenges within Afghanistan's own healthcare system.
Medical Emergencies Drive Visa Facilitation
The streamlined visa process began with the launch of a new Afghan visa module in April 2025. Officials report that a large number of applicants required visas for serious conditions like cancer care, trauma management, and advanced diagnostics. This highlights Afghanistan's limited domestic capacity to handle complex and emergency medical situations.
During high-level talks, Union Health Minister J P Nadda assured his Afghan counterpart, Minister of Public Health Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, of India's continued commitment. Nadda emphasized that India would keep providing free treatment in its hospitals for Afghan patients with serious ailments while ensuring smoother medical visa processing. He stated that India's engagement with Afghanistan remains firmly people-centric and guided by humanitarian considerations.
Reviewing and Expanding Healthcare Infrastructure
The bilateral discussions also involved a review of ongoing India-backed healthcare projects in Afghanistan. Key projects include:
- Five maternity and health clinics in the provinces of Paktia, Khost, and Paktika.
- A 30-bed hospital in Kabul.
- The construction or upgradation of major facilities in the Afghan capital, such as an oncology centre, trauma centre, diagnostic centre, and thalassemia centre.
Additional proposals for the health sector are currently under active consideration by the Indian government.
Medical Supplies and Capacity Building Initiatives
India's support extends beyond visas and infrastructure. Over the past four years, India has supplied 327 tonnes of medicines and vaccines to Afghanistan. Minister Nadda confirmed that a consignment of cancer medicines and a CT scan machine, requested by the Afghan health ministry, is ready for dispatch and is scheduled to reach Afghanistan by the end of this month. Requests for a radiotherapy machine and further medical supplies are also being processed.
Capacity building is another crucial focus area. India is developing plans to send a team of senior doctors to Afghanistan to conduct medical camps and train local medical professionals. A successful model cited was the Jaipur Foot camp in Kabul in June 2025, where 75 prosthetic limbs were fitted. This initiative is set to be expanded in the coming year.
Both nations expressed satisfaction with the pace of cooperation. India reiterated that visa facilitation, treatment access, and comprehensive healthcare support will remain central to its engagement with the Afghan people, underscoring a deep-rooted commitment to humanitarian aid.
