Jilga district residents want 30-bed hospital operationalised

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): The residents of Jilga district in northern Baghlan province have demanded the operationalization of a 30-bed hospital the construction of which completed eight years ago.

The 30-bed hospital of Jilga district was built eight years ago but could open for service and now its building was faced with the danger of damage.

During the winter season public access to local hospitals is limited and the residents of this area issued a call on government officials to activate the hospital.

Qazi Qalamuddin, a resident of Jilga district, told Pajhwok Afghan News, despite their repeated demands for the hospital to be made operational, no practical effort was made by authorities.

Qalamuddin said: “There is no other health centre in this area, we need to take patients to Nahrin district for treatment, our problems get doubled during the winter season, the government officials must pay attention to our problems and send health workers to this hospital.”

Ahmad Shah, another resident said: “During his visit to this area, the head of plan and policy department at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) had promised to send health workers to this hospital, but no health workers was sent  to this hospital.”

Due to the lack of a well-equipped hospital in this area, a number of women lose their lives annually while traveling to Nahrin district because of the lengthy distance.

Rahim Uddin, a local tribal elder said, it takes hours to reach Nahrin district and it is a hard mountainous way, these challenges get even worse during the winter, to the government must find a permanent solution to their problems and send doctors and other health workers to that hospital.

Mullah Alim Majidi, the governor spokesperson, told Pajhwok the issue of Jilga district hospital was shared with the MoPH.

Majidi said: “The building to that hospital was built during the previous government, the only remaining issue with the hospital was the health workers and doctors, an issue which might be solved during the same fiscal year.”

Jilga is a remotely situated district of Baghlan province and its most residents are associated with agriculture.

Aw/nh