Remote areas of Ghor sans proper health services

FEROZKOH (Pajhwok): Residents of remote areas of western Ghor province complain about the lack of proper health services.

On the other hand, the Public Health Department — confirming the issue — says it has taken measures to address the problem.

Abdul Basir, a resident of Allah Yar district, told Pajhwok News there is no well-equipped health centre in his area. In emergency situations, he said, they had to evacuate patients to Feroz Koh, the capital of the province.

He added: “There is a small clinic in the district and it does not have facilities, an experienced doctor and medicines. Every time we get sick, we go to the main provincial hospital.”

Khudabakhsh, hailing from the Talkhak village of Lal Aw Sarjangal district, brought his son to the Ferozkoh Civil Hospital.

“The clinic is far from our village, and it does not have enough medicine. There are no experienced doctors. Our people are really faced with a a whole host of problems.”

He urged the officials concerned to build a well-equipped clinic in this district.

Abdur Rahim, who belongs to Pasaband district, had a similar complaint and sough the government’s attention to dealing with people’s health problems.

The district residents, who had to take their patients to Ferozkoh, encountered many problems traveling long distances, he grumbled.

“I don’t have money to buy medicine or send my patient to another city. My son has a stomach problem. I borrowed 10,000 afghanis and brought him here. The district clinic doesn’t give visitors anything. The government should address our problems.”

Fatima, another visitor to the hospital, also complains about the lack of proper health services and necessary medicines for patients. She tied the issues to the large number of patients and lack of facilities.

She said: “I have been here with my daughter for two days. It is not yet known what disease she is suffering from. Her condition is very bad. She complains of stomach complications.

“During this period, I have been buying medicine with my own money. This hospital has little space. There are several patients lying on one ward. We want the central government to address our problems.”

Meanwhile, officials acknowledged the province’s health sector was facing shortages. However, the health personnel are working continually to treat patients and provide them with proper facilities.

Provincial Hospital Director Dr. Gul Ahmad Sahil said: “Although there are problems in terms of facilities, we have so many visitors. We are facing a shortage of beds. There are problems in different sections, but despite this, our personnel are serving the people day and night.”

Public Health Director Dr. Abdul Sattar Mawafaq also called the shortage of health personnel at the provincial level a multi-year problem.

But he said they were trying to hire more professional personnel across the province to provide more efficient services to the people.

“The lack of personnel and medical facilities has been an old issue. But we have sent necessary medicines to the districts. We are trying to solve the problems as much as we can …”

UNICEF, which delivered most of health services in Ghor, suspended its operations in the province two weeks ago.

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