Khost remote areas residents demand maternity health services

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Some residents of remote areas in southeastern Khost province say they lack access to basic health services, including well-equipped maternity clinics.

They say there are no health clinics in many remote areas and if any they have no maternity wards.

The residents are asking the government to solve the problem.

Among these remote areas one is Babrak Tana area in Alisher district near the Durand Line.

Badshah, an inhabitant of this area, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had no access to maternity health services.

He said their patients often died on the way before reaching hospital due to bad condition of roads and lack of female doctors.

Saifullah Khan, a resident of Sabari district, told Pajhwok although a health center existed in their area, it was without any female workers.

He said l patients reached the provincial capital with many difficulties and asked relevant agencies to appoint female doctors in remote areas.

He added: “There is no one here at night to provide maternity services to women. If there is a maternal illness, we immediately take them to the provincial hospital.”

Meanwhile, some female civil activists expressed their concern in this regard, saying that despite the fact there are many graduated nurses and midwives in this province, the problem had not been addressed.

Nadia Bawari, a civil activist, told Pajhwok that the government should provide necessary maternity services to women in rural areas.

She said: “There are problems in our remote areas. The government should hire midwives and allocate specific places for them so that they can provide services to the people. We have many midwives here, but due to lack of facilities, they are unable to provide services.”

Naqibullah Zaland, another activist, also told Pajhwok that most of the remote areas in Khost are deprived of maternity services.

He suggested that the government should draw the attention of aid agencies to this area, so that the rate of mother and child mortality could be reduced.

According to him, “In remote areas, sometimes children and mothers lose their lives during childbirth. The lack of maternity clinics in the area is one of the main reasons behind the mortality. Investment should be made in this regard in order to address the problem.

On the other hand, Public Health Department officials say maternity wards are functioning and providing services to the people in all districts of the province.

Naqibullah Masoum, spokesman for the department, told Pajhwok they were trying to extend their services to all remote areas.

Buildings for some health centers in rural areas have been constructed years ago, but they are yet to be made functional.

kk/sa/ma

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