Zirouk residents call for improvements in health sector

SHARANA (Pajhwok): The residents of Zirouk district in southeastern Paktika province have complained no surgery ward and facilities for the treatment of some other diseases have been not available in the health centres at the district level.

They said they transferred their patients on difficult routs to Sharana, the provincial capital, or Khost province and sometimes a patient is lost on the way to the hospital.

Lahor Khan, the resident of Dabi village, told Pajhwok Afghan News, the local health center of this district sans surgical ward, some other facilities are also not available and the people face serious problems.

Lahor Khan added: “The current health service provided by the district clinics are very limited; the residents are forced to take their patients to other health centers in Sharana or Khost province, some of the patients even die on such risky ways.”

Haj Mohammad asked the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to equip the local BHC clinic with surgical ward and provide more facilities for the treatment of other diseases.

Haji Haj Mohammad, a tribal elder of Soori village told Pajhwok: “Zirouk population is 90,000 and the health services are inadequate for their number of people.”

The officials of provincial health department accept the problems of the residents but they assure them that these problems will be solved in near future.

He said efforts are underway to upgrade the BHC clinic to CHC (community health center), at that case the clinic will be able to provide the surgery and ambulance services.

He acknowledged the complaints of the locals but added the clinic sans the surgical section and has no ambulance facility.

He said, his duty begins at 8:00am and ends at 4:00pm, as too many patients visit this clinic for the treatment of their illnesses every day, Abed stays in the clinic even at night.

Doctor Nik Mohammad Abed, the head of the local BHC clinic said that the available facilities of the clinic do not respond to the needs of the patients.

The former government approved to equip the local (Behavioral Health Consultation) BHC clinic, a promise which has never been fulfilled, he said.

The officials of provincial health department accept the problems of the residents but they assure them that these problems will be solved in near future.

He said efforts are underway to upgrade the BHC clinic to CHC (community health center), at that case the clinic will be able to provide the surgery and ambulance services.

He acknowledged the complaints of the locals but added the clinic sans the surgical section and has no ambulance facility.

He said, his duty begins at 8:00am and ends at 4:00pm, as too many patients visit this clinic for the treatment of their illnesses every day, Abed stays in the clinic even at night.

Doctor Nik Mohammad Abed, the head of the local BHC clinic said that the available facilities of the clinic do not respond to the needs of the patients.

The former government approved to equip the local (Behavioral Health Consultation) BHC clinic, a promise which has never been fulfilled, he said.

Aw/nh