Marja residents complain of inadequate health services

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): The residents of Beland Dasht area of Marja district in southern Helmand province complain they lack access to sufficient health facilities.

Abdul Razzaq Akhundzada, a resident of the area, told Pajhwok Afghan News that people of their area had been lacking access to health centers for the past three decades.

He said local residents had to take their patients to the district center which was 20 kilometers away and often failed to find a car.

“Over 7,000 families are living in our area and we take our patients to the hospital in the district centre which is 20 kilometres away,” he added.

Abdul Hadi, another resident, said there was no health centre in their area, calling it the most serious problem of the people.

“Few days ago, an ailing woman who was being taken to the district center on a motorcycle lost her life on the way to the hospital,” he added.

He urged officials of the Public Health Department to pay serious attention to solving the problems of the people.

Mohammad Wali Himmat said that the government should build health centers in each village and region, considering their population.

He said if a health centre was built within every 10 kilometers to provide all kinds of medical services 24 hours a day, then according to him, people’s problems would be solved.

Himmat said the government was obliged to provide health services to all people because it was the right of the people.

On the other hand, Deputy Director of Public Health Department, Dr. Naqibullah Fateh, also acknowledged that people lacked access to 24-hour health services, but said three fixed and one mobile hospital existed in Buland Dasht area providing services to the people.

He says: “People want a health center after every five kilometers, but according to the policy of the ministry, we have built a health center after every 10 kilometers.”

He added they were trying to convert the existing mobile health center in BulandDasht area a permanent hospital, and the ministry has also promised to provide 24-hour health services in other districts besides Marjah and Nahr-i-Saraj.

sa/ma