Thursday, September 24, 2026
The 14th meeting of the Executive Committee (Leadership Board) of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) was held under the chairmanship of Mr. Sayed Karim Hashemi, Chairman of ACCI, with the participation of the Chamber’s Deputies, members of the Leadership Board, and relevant officials.
The first and most important item on the agenda was the proposal to establish a “Charitable Specialized Cancer Hospital” under the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment. The hospital is planned to initially have a capacity of 100 beds and provide cancer diagnosis and treatment services, particularly to underprivileged and needy patients.
Mr. Sayed Karim Hashemi, Chairman of ACCI, emphasizing the humanitarian, Islamic, and national importance of the initiative, said that the high costs of cancer diagnosis and treatment have placed many Afghan families under serious financial pressure.
He said:
“Afghanistan is our common home; the pain of one Afghan is the pain of all of us, and saving the life of one Afghan is an honor for all of us.”
The Chairman, referring to the social responsibility of the country’s traders, investors, and philanthropists, emphasized:
“Capital is not merely a means of conducting business; it can also be a means of service, a source of hope, and even a means of saving a human life.”
He added that the hospital would not be the project of an individual or a single institution, but rather a humanitarian and national initiative belonging to the people of Afghanistan, to be established through the collective efforts and contributions of traders, investors, philanthropists, and the public, in cooperation with relevant government institutions.
Emphasizing the fundamental objective of the initiative, the Chairman said:
“We are not merely building a building; we are building hope. We want the day to come when no underprivileged Afghan patient is deprived of cancer treatment simply because they cannot afford it.”
He stated that the initial capacity of 100 beds would be the beginning of the initiative rather than its end, expressing hope that the capacity and services of the facility would be expanded in the future and that it would become one of Afghanistan’s well-equipped and standardized centers for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The Chairman also called on traders, investors, philanthropists, and the public to contribute to this humanitarian initiative according to their capacity and resources, emphasizing:
“It does not matter how large or small our contribution is; what matters is that we take part in this good cause. Every contribution, however small, can become a source of hope for a patient and a family.”
Following comprehensive discussion and review, the members of the Executive Committee expressed their strong and full support for the establishment of the “Charitable Specialized Cancer Hospital” and formally approved the proposal by an absolute majority.
It was also decided to establish a professional and competent committee to assess the land, architectural plans and design, medical equipment, specialized cancer departments, costs and financial resources, private-sector participation, cooperation with relevant government institutions, and transparent and sustainable management mechanisms for the hospital. The committee will also prepare a comprehensive implementation plan for the project.
At the conclusion, the Chairman summarized the message of the initiative as follows:
“Let us turn trade into hope, capital into life, and today’s decision into a tomorrow dedicated to saving human lives.”
The meeting continued with discussions, reviews, and decisions on other economic, administrative, and executive matters included on the agenda.
