The Order of Malta German Emergency Corps (Malteser), is providing emergency health services for the 500 members of the Loya Jirga as well as for the 100 members of the government and the international staff participating in the assembly. “Our team has put at the disposal of the Loya Jirga a car with a doctor on emergency call and a paramedic as well as an ambulance. If necessary, the patients are brought to the nearby Malteser Hospital for further diagnosis and treatment” says Dr. Thomas Walz, Head of Mission of the Malteser team in Kabul. There was an explosion near the venue of the assembly last Saturday which Kabul police said had been caused by a rocket. Fortunately there were no casualties or damage.

Malteser’s ongoing activities in the region

The Order of Malta German Emergency Corps provides this medical service on behalf of the United Nations and the German Federal Foreign Office within the scope of its mission for UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan). Currently, the Malteser team in Kabul is made up of three physicians, three paramedics, a nurse and a medical assistant.

Since August 2002 Malteser Germany has been contributing to the development of public administration by training police staff in first aid and giving further training to Afghan medical personnel. Malteser also provides medical care for the UN staff in Kabul. This year, Malteser Germany, in cooperation with Afghan physicians, has carried out examinations of about 8,000 patients and recruitment checkups of 600 police recruits in the German Malteser Hospital in Kabul. 300 policemen were trained in first aid, 83 first aid instructors were qualified and 54 police recruits passed the exams for paramedics.