The Red Cross says it pays for staff and equipment needed at 23 public hospitals. The global body, which has begun producing the salaries of the country’s health workers directly, says it plans to pay the wages of more than 6,000 health workers and has provided 15 staff salaries and health equipment to hospitals.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross is working to address the problems of health workers,” said Manqad al-Rahman Rudwal, a senior Red Cross official. “The program to help hospitals will continue for the next few months. The Red Cross has provided staff salaries to 15 hospitals across Afghanistan and other equipment such as medicine and other facilities to treat patients.”

Meanwhile, several health workers in Kabul who the Red Cross has paid say they face so many economic challenges that they cannot even pay their car rentals.

“When there is no salary, there is nothing we can do,” said Amina Shokhmand, a doctor. “We get paid, pay for cars, provide food for the family, health workers from doctors to nurses, and workers all need their salaries.” “How happy we are today that we are receiving a newborn baby, that everyone is happy and waiting for him,” said Nik Mohammad Babakarkhil, an employee at a government hospital.

Some call on the international community to save the country’s health system from collapse. “We want the institutions and organizations working in the health sector to work with us because there are many patients, the roads are open, people come from far-flung provinces, but there is little equipment,” said Mohammad Awad, a general internal medicine specialist. “And even our staff has been reduced.” The Red Cross had previously announced that the salaries of health workers would be paid directly.