Exit Exam for Medical Graduates in Kabul Excludes Women, Raising Health Concerns

The exit exam for graduates of medicinal studies in Kabul was conducted without the participation of female students. This has raised serious concerns about the shortage of women doctors and poses a threat to the health of women and children in Afghanistan.

Exit Exam Held in Kabul Excludes Female Students

The process for the Exit Exam for medicinal graduates took place on Friday, October 7, organized by the National Examination Bureau in Kabul. This exam was held amid ongoing restrictions preventing female graduates from participating.

Nasser Khan Shirzai, spokesperson for the National Examination Bureau under the Taliban administration, confirmed that the exit exam for stomatology ( dentistry) is scheduled for October 14. The ban on female participation has left hundreds of women graduates in a state of uncertainty.

Critical Shortage of Women Doctors

Nearly five years after universities and schools were closed to children and girls above the sixth grade, there has been no clear program aimed at issuing professional licenses to women doctors. Students and graduates from medical faculties are warning about the irreversible consequences of this situation.

Fataneh, a university student from Ghazni province, stated, “The exclusion of trained women from the healthcare system severely threatens the health of women and children.” Similarly, residents of Logar province confirm that the scarcity of female doctors, nurses, and midwives has forced them to seek consultations and basic treatments from male doctors.

Consequences of Girls’ Education Ban

The United Nations and UNICEF have announced that the shortage of female healthcare personnel in Afghanistan has reached a critical level. UNICEF assessments indicate that continued educational bans could leave the country facing a shortage of over 5,000 female healthcare workers and 20,000 teachers by 2030.

Despite previous acknowledgments from the Ministry of Public Health regarding the lack of female specialists, no concrete solutions have been proposed to address this national challenge.