MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Residents of Chahar Kint district of northern Balkh complain about inadequate healthcare services in the district and ask the government to address the problem.
They say patients and their family face many problems due to non-availability of standard health centres in their areas and sometimes critical patients lose their lives before reaching hospital in the provincial capital, Mazar-i-Sharif.
Habibullah, a resident of Chahar Kint district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that no well-equipped medical center existed in the district.
He said although several small clinics were available in the district, they lacked necessary medical equipment and specialist doctors.
“We have a small clinic, there are no doctors specializing in surgery, neurology, dentistry and other fields”
Habibullah urged the government to address the problem as soon as possible.
Mohammad Ali, another resident, said winter compounded the problems of local residents in terms of access to standard health services.
He said the previous government had totally ignored the district and as a result, its residents remained deprived of many facilities.
According to him, despite being populous, the district has no well-equipped medical center that have all facilities and specialist doctors.
He added: “So far, no attention has been paid to our district, we have not a single proper clinic and specialists. We urge the government to address this major problem.”
Another resident, Amanullah, made similar complaints and said the road leading to Mazar-i-Sharif remained closed after heavy snowing in winter and people could not take patients to the city.
Amanullah claimed many patients had died on the way to the provincial capital.
Local health officials acknowledge the available health centers in the district lack beds, personnel and specialist doctors.
Mohammad Rasoul Karimi, head of Sharshara Clinic in the district, said the residents were provided some health services, but specialist doctors should be provided and operation theatre and other departments should be established.
He said: “A surgery ward should be built because patients cannot reach the city in an emergency and the problem of shortage of medicine, beds and doctors also need to be resolved.”
Sifatullah Khalid, district administrative chief, acknowledged the problems.
He said there were health centers in the district, but they could not cater to the needs of the population.
He added: “We have shared this problem with the center and have requested that a well-equipped hospital with specialist doctors should be built in this district in order to solve people’s problems.”
sa/ma
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