Head of Anesthesia, Cure Hospital

Dr. Aqil Sha is one of ten children. He lived in Nangarhar Province until he was fifteen years old when the family had to flee to Pakistan due to the attacks of the Russian army. Several of his cousins were killed during this time. His family home was destroyed by bombs. His entire village including homes, schools, clinics were leveled. The family traveled by foot across the Hindu Cush mountains to reach Pakistan, where they were placed in a refugee camp. Life in the camps was miserable. Despite living in poverty for thirteen years, he finished his secondary education. When the family returned to Kabul, they and their village had to start from scratch again, because everything they had owned was gone.

Dr. Aqil Sha earned his medical degree and specialist anesthesia training at the Kabul Medical University. Following graduation, he worked as a Master Trainer at the Rabia Balkhi Hospital. He also worked as a Training Officer of Anesthesia in Kuwait and as part of a relief committee in Peshawar, Pakistan.

When Dr. Aqil Sha was recruited as an anesthesiologist to work at the Cure Hospital in 2006, he was one of only two anesthesiologists in the entire country. His anesthesia training was continued at Cure Hospital by several foreigners who worked at the hospital for approximately one year.  He was part of the team that developed policies to guide the hospital’s pre, intra, and post-operative procedures to ensure patient safety. Dr. Aqil Sha been a steady presence at the hospital for over fourteen years, overseeing the department of anesthesia.