Complaints about lack of drugs in Badghis hospitals rejected

QALA-I-NAW (Pajhwok): A number of patient attendants in western Badghis province have complained about poor health services, particularly lack of medicines at health centers, while local officials deny the claims.

Abdul Rahman, a resident of Qadis district of Badghis, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the quality of health services had worsened in the province.

He took a patient to the health center in Qadis district and visited the center many times, but said there was no medicine and people had to buy patient’s basic necessities from outside the hospital.

He said he could not take his patient to private hospitals for treatment due to his economic issues and he could not afford to buy medicine from private drug stores.

Abdul Rahman said that medicines should be provided free of cost at government health centers in the province as many people in Badghis had poor economy.

“I do not have money to buy medicine for my patient, I borrowed 400 afghanis from someone and then bought medicine,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Juma, another patient attendant from Moqur district of Badghis, has a similar complaint, saying, “One night I came to Badghis Civil Hospital but the hospital did not give me medicine, we hope that the medicine would be provided free of cost because we cannot afford buying medicine.”

He said that people were struggling with bad economic situation and the government should provide medicine free of cost.

On the other hand, officials of Badghis Civil Hospital rejected the existence of any problems in the hospital and say that most of the medicines needed by patients are available in the health center.

Dr. Padshah Khan Naseri, head of the hospital, said that all medicines they had list of were available at the hospital, but patients had higher expectations.

“Currently we have professionals for all parts, our services are performed professionally, we currently do not have any problems, the medicine which is in our list is also available to patients, but some medicine which we do not have in the hospital, patients should buy them outside,” he said.

However, Mulavi Mohammad Asif Qanet, Badghis public health director, told Pajhwok Afghan News that there were some problems in the hospital in the past but they had been resolved after signing of a contract with an assisting organization.

He said that they provided required medicines in accordance with the principles, but patients had a higher expectation which they were unable to meet.

Qanet said that people should not expect all types of medicine in government health centers.

There are a total of 52 government health centers in the center and districts of Badghis province.

mds/ma

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