Herat’s Ghar Moshak residents in trouble as only clinic closed

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of Ghar Moshak village in Zindajan district of western Herat province say the only health centre in their area has been out of operation for the past five months, leaving them without access to even the most basic health services.

Ghar Moshak, located in Zindajan and accessible only by rough, unpaved roads, is one of several remote areas where, according to locals, the sole healthcare facility has ceased functioning.
Officials attribute the closure to the suspension of international aid.

Mohammad Younis, a resident of the village, told Pajhwok Afghan News that maternal and infant mortality rates had risen since the health centre became inactive.
He explained that most villagers could not afford high costs of private healthcare and transporting patients to Herat city, the provincial capital, cost over 3,000 afghanis—well beyond the financial means of most families in Ghar Moshak.

The village, home to around 250 families and central to several neighbouring settlements, has witnessed a sharp rise in maternal and newborn deaths due to the absence of midwives, poor road conditions, and the long distance to the nearest functioning health centres.
In many cases, patients—particularly women and infants—die on the way to Herat or nearby districts.

Sanaullah, a man suffering from a respiratory illness, said he must travel dozens of kilometres on rough, winding roads just to receive a basic injection.
Speaking in a laboured voice, he said: “I can barely breathe. I suffer from a respiratory condition and need regular medication and injections. Now I have to travel to the district centre. I can’t afford the transport fare, so most of the time I go without treatment and just endure the pain.”

He added that the presence of the health centre had previously made life easier, but given the worsening economic situation, he can no longer afford any medical care.
He called on government officials to restore healthcare services in the village.

Local elders said more than 20 surrounding villages had previously benefited from the Ghar Moshak health centre, but now nearly 10,000 people have been left without access to medical services.
Mohammad Awaz, a member of the village council, said that due to the absence of midwives and a functioning clinic, a woman lost her baby just this week, and many other women are experiencing serious complications during childbirth.

He added that in the past, residents of both nearby and distant villages would bring their patients to the centre for treatment. Now, however, they are forced to travel to Herat city and seek care at private hospitals—an option that is both financially and physically burdensome.

Doctors at private hospitals in Herat have also reported a surge in patient numbers following the closure of several public health centres in rural areas.
Dr Abdul Ghiyas Hakimi, a physician at one such hospital, said patient numbers had previously been low but have significantly increased over the past six months.

He noted that many patients are facing severe financial difficulties, with large numbers unable to afford medicine or the cost of diagnostic tests.

In response, officials at the Herat Public Health Department confirmed the closure of several health centres in the province and said efforts are underway to restore services in affected communities.

Dr Ghulam Mohammad Hanafi, head of the department, said that six health centres have ceased operations due to the withdrawal of international funding, leaving nearly 100,000 people without healthcare access.
He added that three other centres are partially functional, with volunteer doctors providing limited services.

According to Hanafi, the department is working to ensure that healthcare becomes accessible again to deprived populations, and 22 new centres are expected to be launched in the near future.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) had reported that, following the suspension of financial aid from the United States, 420 health centres across Afghanistan had been forced to shut down, affecting more than 3.05 million people in 30 provinces.

kk/ma