No facilities in Jawzjan hospitals, grumble residents

SHIBERGHAN (Pajhwok): Due to non-availability of medicines in the Public Health Department of northern Jawzjan province, patients have to buy prescribed drugs from the bazaar.

Mohammad Qurban, 50, a resident of Shiberghan, the provincial capital, accused doctors at the civil hospital of unfair behavior with patients despite giving them no free medicines. He had brought his son to the hospital for an operation.

“Despite pocketing huge aid from the global community, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has provided no facilities to patients in hospitals. I saw a doctor using private medical equipment to conduct an operation,” he said.

He called on the authorities concerned to pay attention to problems faced by patients as even a syringe was not available at the hospital and one had to get it from the store.

“Who knows where did the global community aid go? Why the problems of common people are not getting resolved,” he questioned.

No one had ever been held responsible for all the mess, said Qurban, adding only well-off people could buy medicines from the bazaar.

Khaleda, a young lady who struggled with a disability in the past, said free medicines were provided to patients in the past but now doctors told patients to bring medicines from bazaar.

But Dr. Hafeezullah Jamshadi, the Public Health Director, said: “We have been facing the lack of budget for medicines and purchase of necessary equipment for hospitals. We have not entered in the reforms system and our doctors serve against 8,000 afghanis salary.”

He said health officials served based on the existing capacity and resources and the medicines distribution section faced budget issues.

He added higher authorities had been informed about the issue and they would take decision in this regard.

nh/ma