Kabul, 17 April 2012 – Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has suspended medical activities in the recently opened maternity hospital in Khost province after an explosion took place inside the hospital compound this morning. Seven people were injured, including one child.

"The suspension will continue until we receive assurances from the actors controlling those areas that medical activities can take place unhindered, and that the security of patients, medical staff and health facilities will be respected  as previously agreed,” said Renzo Fricke, Country Representative for MSF in Afghanistan.

Patients currently under care will be referred to the maternity in Khost Provincial  Hospital, and no new patients will be admitted.

The resumption of MSF’s medical activities in Khost is conditional upon the respect for patients, personnel, and medical facilities.

Since it opened in March, the 56 bed hospital has already provided much needed maternal healthcare to 700 patients, including 600 deliveries.

MSF teams also work in Ahmed Shah Baba Hospital in eastern Kabul and Boost Hospital in Lashkargah, Helmand Province. The organization also runs a trauma center in Kunduz, providing life-saving surgical care to people in northern Afghanistan. In all locations, MSF provides medical care free of charge and works in all wards of the hospitals.