300 healthcare centres operating without licenses in Khost

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): The Public Health Department of southeastern Khost province says 300 health centres are operating without having legal documents.

Dr Fazal Karim Mandozai, director of the public health department, told Pajhwok Afghan News only 22 of the 350 healthcare centers were operating with licenses and 28 more of them are in the process of obtaining legal permits, the remaining 300 were operating without licenses.

He said the health clinics that were operating against the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Public Health should be closed.

Mandozai said they had launched a campaign to close those health centres that were operating without having legal documents in the provincial capital and districts.

“Practical steps are being taken against clinics and pharmacies operating without licenses in Khost province and the drive is continued to shut the doors of such healthcare centres,” he added.

Some residents of this province also commended the operations of the public health department against those health centres operating arbitrary without having legal documents.

Akhbaruddin, a resident of the Spera district, said he had taken his patients to these kinds of health clinics for almost one year.

He told Pajhwok if he was aware of such situation, he would never visit health centres that were operating without legal permits from government.

He added: “They gave me medicine and administered a serum and then they closed the doors of the clinic and left. I was not aware that they were fleeing from public health officials for because of not having legal documents.”

Ghafar Khan, another resident, also welcomed the public health department’s steps in this regard and urged these operations to be continued.

kk/sa