Malika Suraya hospital staff sans salaries for 7 months

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Doctors and paramedical staff of the Malika Suraya hospital in southern Helmand province say they have not been paid their salary for the last seven months.

They say the hospital is also lacking medicine. Malika Suraya hospital is providing health services in field of mother-child healthcare and about 100 workers work there.

Mohammad Wali Himmat, deputy head of the hospital, told Pajhwok Afghan News that all personnel of the hospital had not been paid their salaries for seven months and they faced financial hardships.

“Not only they don’t pay us our salaries but also don’t provide medicine so we have these two problems,” he added.

He said he had shared the issue with provincial officials in Helmand, but the problem remained unresolved.

“Our department has only sent a letter to Kabul, saying that there are some problems in Malika Suraya hospital that need to be resolved, but so far nothing has been done,” he explained.

Sayed Mohammad Sabawoon, another doctor at the hospital, told Pajhwok they would resign if their problems were not resolved.

“I’m in charge of the pharmacy department, there is no medicine, no salary, if the problems continue like this and cannot be resolved, we will have to resign,” he added.

Niaz Bibi, a female employee of the hospital, told Pajhwok she was facing economic problems and her salary problem needed to be resolved.

Other workers of the hospitals held similar views and threatened to resign if the problems were not addressed.

Abdul Ahad Hazim, public health director, confirmed the staff of Malika Suraya hospital faced a number of problems and efforts were being made to address them.

“In the past, the hospital was given facilities and salaries by an organization, but now the organization has suspended its activities, so some problems have arisen but we are trying to address them,” he added.

sa/ma

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