Kabul, Mazar Al Sharif; Afganistan 2019.
During my visit last year to the Rotary club New York City No1, US, I was invited to take the role as Health delegate in the Rotary International Action Group for Peace.
Only few months later, I had the priviledge to be a “doctor in diplomacy”. I participated actively in the education and organization of the Health Service and Surgical profession in Afghanistan.
It was a challenge for me filled with new profesional obligations and responsibility in the most risky part of the world., where life conditions, particularly the requirement for patients’ surgical treatment fall significantly behind modern medicine.
Afghan people are an exhausted nation with very low motivation for objective planning of a realistic future, after decades of fighting against Russians, Talibans and Americans.
Despite the Initial difficulties in communication with Afghan colleagues, soon I gained their confidence, as a Croat with the understanding of their post war problems and realistic approach to their possibilities and environment.
War has never stopped here, and if somebody wishes to survive and have a so-called normal life they have to have luck. The Concept of luck here could be a moment when from the safe room in a shelter, upon the smog Rising above Kabul and between the noise of gun shots and military choppers, it is still possible to hear the birds’ song and sounds of flute in the distance.
Despite believing that my knowledge and experience contributed to the betterment of the rigid and poor organisation of the Afghan health service, the highlight of my trip to Afghanistan was a visit to the NATO base and battalion of Croatian soldiers in Mazar Al Sharif.
