Afghan midwives eager to get to work

Nation has made progress in the provision of healthcare services

KABUL - Rita Hamidi, a newly graduated midwife, urged the Afghan government to provide female medical staff with proper jobs and security as they struggle to save lives in the war-torn country.

"Over the past decades, the scarcity of professional midwives has been the main reason behind the high rate of maternal mortalities, particularly in the countryside. I graduated from the midwifery department of a private medical institute in Kabul last year, but still I could not find a suitable job," Rita said on Saturday, the annual International Day of the Midwife.