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Citation |
Faiz A. Lancet 1997; 349(9060): 1247-1248. |
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Affiliation |
Amnesty International, London, UK. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 1997, Elsevier Publishing) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
9130961 |
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Abstract |
When the Taliban swept into Kabul, Afghanistan in September 1996, they began a reign of terror over the people of that city, especially the women. Adhering to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law, the group has severely restricted women's freedom of movement and access to health care, education, and employment. Some female physicians and nurses have been able to continue working because the Taliban has decreed that male doctors can not treat women patients unless they are their relatives. Female physicians and nurses have been subjected to beatings by armed Taliban guards who enforce "morals." Male and female doctors are viewed with suspicion by the Taliban and are routinely ridiculed in public. Women are attacked when they venture into the streets to seek medical care for themselves or their children, and a pregnant woman recently delivered her baby in the street while her husband was being beaten for trying to take her to the hospital. This interference with the delivery of health care has occurred at a time when many people require treatment for injuries inflicted in connection with the war and when the public utility system has collapsed. Few physicians are willing to discuss the patients they treat for injuries inflicted by the torturous Taliban, especially since some physicians have collaborated with the Taliban in order to avoid reprisals. Language: en |