Afghanistan : The French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children (FMIC)
Programme Coordinator: Sophie Tran
In a lot in a suburb of Kabul, once vacant and cluttered with debris, stands an ultramodern hospital. Created by La Chaîne de l’Espoir, in a country wracked by war for three decades, this hospital has saved the lives of thousands of children by giving them access to medical and surgical care meeting the highest international standards.
OBJECTIFS :
- To supply Afghan children with high quality surgery and care
- To contribute to the reconstruction of the healthcare system in Afghanistan
- The FMIC strives to develop its services and increase its capacity in order to become a medical facility for both children and adults, recognised as a centre of excellence and a referral centre at a regional level
ACTIVITY :
The hospital
- The FMIC features advanced technology in terms of diagnosis and treatment equipment. It includes 85 inpatient beds, of which 15 intensive and critical care beds, an operating suite with 4 theatres, a medical imaging unit, a clinical laboratory and a pharmacy.
- Equipped in accordance with western standards and certified ISO 9001, the hospital offers state-of-the-art surgery and access to high-quality care to Afghan children.
- Over 100,000 consultations are carried out each year and over 5,000 children are hospitalised.
- Since 2014 the FMIC has been extending its healthcare services to adults with the opening of eye care, dental, general and interventional cardiology units and the Mother and Child Centre in 2016.
Welfare: indispensable support for children in need
In Afghanistan, there is no health coverage system for expensive medical services. This is the reason why the government of Afghanistan, the government of France, the Aga Khan Foundation and La Chaîne de l’Espoir have set up a solidarity fund named “Welfare”.
Thanks to this fund, the hospital and medical fees of children, women and infants at the FMIC will be covered in part or in full, depending on families’ income.
In 2015, the medical fees of 51,548 patients have been partly or fully covered under the Welfare programme.
