Takhar’s remote areas residents decry inadequate health services

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Some residents of remote districts in northern Takhar province are complaining about lack of necessary health facilities and services.

They say some health centers in the province are sans necessary equipment and even ambulances.

Fathullah Dawlatyar, a civil society activist in Dasht-i-Qala district, said: “There are no well-equipped health centers in remote parts of the district and patients especially pregnant women suffer a lot.”

Calling the lack of advanced health centers and maternity ward a serious issue, the resident said they faced severe difficulties while taking patients to health centres due to lack of vehicles and remoteness of the facilities.

He urged the government to fund and build well-equipped health centres in remote parts of the district.

Atiqullah, a resident of Rustaq district, who has brought his mother and wife to Taloqan hospital, said: “There is no standard health centre in our area and the existing health facility cannot cater to the needs of all patients.”

“If someone earns 50 afghanis a day, how can he pay up to 2,000 afs taxi fare if he wants to take a patient to the provincial hospital for treatment? “

The people are in a dire economic situation and they can be saved from  such problems if the government provides necessary health services to them, he said.

Sayed Manzar, a resident of Darqad district, has similar complaints about the lack of access to health services.

He said the district had been a battleground during the past two decades of war and it was neglected.

He said there were no standard health facilities in Darqad district, where no maternity ward or medicines existed in the health centers, there were no facilities for medical examinations and even ambulance in emergency situation.

He said: “The road to the provincial capital is in a terrible condition and there is no bridge on the Amu River, some patients die on the way to the provincial capital, the government must pay attention to this problem”.

He continued majority of the people could not afford to take their patients to private hospitals.

Dr. Abdul QaharAhmadi, the provincial Public Health Department head, acknowledged to some extent problems in remote areas, but he added mobile health teams were active in such areas.

The government has the plan to build 5,000 clinics all over the country during this year and Takhar is one of the provinces that need new health centers, he said.

The two decades of war in the country and the negligence of the previous government deprived the residents of remote areas of Takhar province of health services.
aw/sa/ma

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