KABUL, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The first-ever telemedicine system in volatile Afghanistan was launched in capital Kabul on Wednesday to improve health services.

    The system, supported by an Afghan leading cellphone operator Roshan, will provide hospitals in Afghanistan with real-time access to specialist diagnosis, treatment and training expertise from abroad.

    Afghan Minister for Communications Amirzai Sangin formally launched the system, which is linked to Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi city of Pakistan.

    In the first phase, the system would link the Kabul-based French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC) to Aga Khan University Hospital, enabling access to a broad array of radiology expertise provided by the foreign hospital, he said.

    Subsequent phases will link Afghanistan's major regional hospitals to the FMIC, which will be connected with some medical institutions in Europe and North America, he added.