Dialysis Crisis in Herat as Pakistan Border Closure Chokes Medical Supplies

DID Press: The continued closure of border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan has triggered an acute shortage of dialysis medicines and consumables in Herat, putting the lives of dozens of kidney patients at risk, doctors warn.

Physicians in Herat say many patients can survive only up to three weeks without regular hemodialysis. Sources at the regional hospital confirmed that stocks of dialysis medications and supplies are nearing depletion; without them, patients face toxin buildup in the body, heart failure, respiratory complications, and potentially death.

According to hospital sources, around 800 dialysis sessions are performed monthly in Herat, with at least 150 patients dependent on regular treatment. Doctors say the Taliban must urgently secure alternative supply routes from Iran or other channels, as roughly 80% of Pakistani-origin medicines in Herat’s market have run out.

Critical items—including arterial and venous line sets, dialysis filters, catheters, dialysis solutions, bicarbonate, and heparin—were largely imported from Pakistan and are now scarce. The regional hospital has urged the Taliban-run public health authorities to immediately find a solution to replenish supplies.

Patients report that both public facilities and private centers, including Habibyar, are facing shortages, leaving many patients in what families describe as a “life-or-death” situation.