Only 20 beds available in 50-bed Zurmat hospital

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Inaugurated three years ago, only 20 beds have so far been made available in a 50-bed hospital in the Zurmat district of southeastern Paktia province owing to lack of resources.

The residents of Zurmat district say the hospital also lacks enough doctors and medicines despite its construction on modern pattern.

Mohammad Yaqub, a resident of Sahak district, said the Zurmat hospital was constructed against a huge sum on modern pattern, but services which were previously available had reduced with the passage of time.

He said patients had no option but to buy medicines from the market and sometimes move to the provincial capital for treatment due to lack of facilities in the hospital.

A patient in the hospital, Abdul Wali, told Pajhwok Afghan News that there was no heating system in the hospital to warm rooms in winter and workers of the hospital were also not professional.

“It is a 50-bed hospital and sometimes the number of admitted patients exceeds 60, but only 20 beds are available here,” he said.

Youth Parliament member Ahmadullah Ahmadi, who visited the hospital, said due to lack of facilities in the hospital, local residents had to take their patients somewhere else.

“This hospital also lacks ultra-sound which is required for pregnant women. People say sometimes private medicine stores and clinics are shut at night and this has confronted the local people with numerous problems.”

Dr Azim, the hospital’s chief physician, acknowledged some problems and said they faced a shortage of staff and orthopedic department.

He said up to 1000 patients, including about 200 pregnancy cases, arrived at the hospital each month. “We have 25 beds which are operational, but renovation work has been ongoing in the hospital and we will activate all the beds once the renovation work is completed. We have shared these issues with the department and the NGO concerned.”

About a month ago, deputy public health minister Waheed Majroh, accompanied by a delegation, visited Gardez and said the province had many problems concerning the health sector and they would take necessary measures to resolve them.

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