Baghlan residents want hospital project completed

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): A number of residents of northern Baghlan province have asked for the resumption of work on a 100-bed hospital – a project that came to a halt six years ago.

The construction the hospital in the Hussain Khel village of the provincial capital Pul-i-Khumri had started in 2015 and 70 percent of work on it was done by 2019. But the project has since been in a state of suspension.

Residents of the province, seeking enhanced health facilities, called for the early completion of the hospital.

Farhad Ahmadzai, the village council chief, said: “My son fell ill some days ago. I took him to the provincial hospital which lacks the capacity to accommodate many patients.”

As a result, he added: “Majority of residents take patients to other provincial hospitals, including Kabul, for treatment.

“If this hospital is made operational, residents won’t need to take their patients to other hospitals,” he argued.

Ahmadzai urged the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to complete the remaining work on the hospital.

Sardar Wali, another resident of Pul-i-Khumri, noted the number of patients visiting the provincial hospital was rising constantly.

He pointed out the available services at the main hospital were not sufficient to meet the needs of patients. People are left with no option but to take their patient to Samangan, Kunduz or Kabul.

Wali said: “Most of construction work on the 100-bed hospital in Hussain Khel is is complete. Only a small portion of it is unfinished. The government must complete the remaining work to address health problems of area people.”

Zarmina, who bought her child to the provincial hospital, said: “I know about the half-finished work on a major facility in our village. The project has been halted for years.

“I wish the hospital should have been operationalised and qualified doctors appointed to it. This would have obviated the need for us to seek health services in other areas.”

She acknowledged the provincial hospital was providing considerable services but the number of visitors was high. Subsequently, people need to take their patients to other provinces.

Meanwhile, local authorities admitted Baghlan needed a well-equipped hospital. They said efforts were being made to complete the remaining work on the Hussain Khel hospital.

Public Health Director Dr. Abdul Qahar Ahmadi told Pajhwok Afghan News Baghlan needed a well-equipped hospital.

About 70 percent of construction work on the Hussain Khel project had been done, but the remaining part had been unfinished since 2019.

“The provincial hospital also needs to be upgraded from 100 beds to 200 beds. The remaining work on the hospital in Hussain Khel village will resume,” he added.

Local authorities had already discussed with the contracting company and the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) the resumption of work on the hospital, Ahmadi concluded.

aw/mud