Ghor provincial hospital facing shortage of female doctors

FEROZKOH (Pajhwok): Women patients in western Ghor province are complaining about the lack of female doctors in the provincial hospital.

But officials acknowledged these issues and say that efforts have started to attract more female specialists to this hospital.

Maryam, one of the patients who is being treated for the last eight days at the provincial hospital, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “There are a few female doctors and they attend patients but when they don’t understand an ailment, male doctors come and see the patients.”

Noor Bibi, relative of a patient, said: “Most of the time male doctors come and examine patients.”

On the other hand, Khatera, a doctor at the provincial hospital, confirmed the hospital was facing shortage of female doctors and midwives were also unable to attend all the patients.

“We are facing a shortage of female doctors and specialists to treat women. We are two or three doctors who have to attend to all the patients day and night,”she added.

Meanwhile, Abdul Ahmad Noori, director of the provincial hospital, told Pajhwok: “The provincial hospital is unfortunately facing shortage of female doctors. We don’t have an internal medicine doctor and a surgeon.”

However, he said they had no issues in terms of midwives and nurses. The official said he had shared the problem with the Ministry of Public Health and were striving to address the problem.

hz/sa/ma