To Paktika women distress, the only lady doctor resigns

SHARANA (Pajhwok): Residents and public health officials in southeastern Paktika province demand the government appoint female doctors in local hospitals as the only lady doctor in the provincial capital has also resigned.

Tribal elder in Yousafkhel district, Mualvi Abdul Manan, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Paktika lacked enough health services as compared to other provinces.

“There was only one lady doctor at the civil hospital, but she also resigned and left the province,” the elder said.

He asked the Ministry of Public Health to appoint lady doctors not only at the provincial civil hospital in Sharana, the provincial capital, but also in all districts of the province.

Ali Sher, who lives in Charda area of Sharana, said only nurses were available at the civil hospital and there was no female doctor.

“Cultural problems are in abundance here, due to which families do not like their women to be examined by a male doctor. As a result, ailing women are in great trouble,” he said.

A woman, who spoke to Pajhwok on the condition of anonymity, said she has been suffering from abdominal pain, but her family was not allowing her to visit a male doctor.

Living with her pain at home, she urged the authorities concerned to resolve the issue of no female doctors in the province with immediate effect.

Similar views were expressed by other residents of the province. Pajhwok tried to talk with the lady doctor who has resigned but she refused to talk.

In this regard, the civil hospital director, Dr. Alikhel Sharanwal, told Pajhwok that the only female doctor quitted her job due to domestic problems.

“She was demanding a job for her husband in the hospital, but we did not have any post for him and that was why she returned to Kabul back.”

He said there were male doctors in the civil hospital and they treated both men and women.

Paktika public health director Abdul Hadi Hashami also confirmed the issue and said the issue had been shared with a partner non-governmental organization for solution.

An official of the NGO called Organization of Health Promotion and Management (OHPM), Dr. Salam Bawarzai, said they had started serious efforts to appoint a female doctor.

“We have taken test from a female doctor and if she succeeds, she will be appointed soon.”

He said they would try to appoint female doctors in districts as well in addition to the provincial capital.

Paktika borders Pakistan and most of its residents take their patients for treatment to the neighboring country.

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