QALA-I-NAW (Pajhwok): A number of residents in western Badghis have complained about a shortage of beds at the provincial hospital and called for an increase in bed capacity, as well as the establishment of ENT, dermatology and other specialist departments.
The hospital currently operates with 100 beds across the departments of general internal medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, neonatology and nutrition.
A year ago, Badghis public health officials told Pajhwok that more than 1,000 patients visit the hospital each day and that over 200 of them require hospitalization, but due to a shortage of beds, many cannot be admitted.
They had also said that efforts were underway to address the problem by increasing the number of beds and establishing new wards at the hospital.
Mohammad Yasin, a resident of Qala-i-Naw city, the capital of Badghis province, told Pajhwok:
“It has been three days since we brought my child here, but unfortunately he has not been admitted. They say there are no vacant beds. Unfortunately, we are not receiving proper attention. Our request is that the number of hospital beds be increased, more doctors be hired and free medicine be provided to patients.”
According to him, two to three patients are currently being placed in each bed in the children’s ward because of the shortage of space.
He said his nine-month-old child is suffering from a chest and lung illness and urgently needed to be admitted and kept under doctors’ care.
Walidad, another resident of Qala-i-Naw, voiced a similar complaint, saying their patient was not admitted to the women’s ward because of the lack of beds.
He said: “For three days I have been coming, but there is no bed. We are in great difficulty, and travelling back and forth is hard for us.”
He also urged the Badghis Department of Public Health to pay attention to increasing the number of beds at the hospital.
Abdul Hamid Haidari, a resident of Muqur district in Badghis province who came to the provincial hospital for treatment of his 12-year-old child, said that because of the shortage of beds, his child is sharing one bed with another child during treatment.
He added: “My child had severe diarrhea. I took him several times to the district clinic, but he did not get better and became very weak. I brought him here to the hospital, and they admitted him, but there is a shortage of space; two children are being treated in one bed because the number of beds is too low.”
He asked the government and national and international health organizations to provide more facilities for the province’s central hospital and increase its bed capacity.
Meanwhile, Ismail, another resident of Qala-i-Naw, said the provincial hospital does not have the capacity to properly treat all patients and in many emergencies has been unable to provide adequate health services.
He added: “The central hospital really has very limited facilities. God forbid, if there is a traffic accident or a natural disaster, it does not have the capacity to accommodate and attend to all patients, because many people from the districts come to this hospital for treatment. It only has 100 beds, and that is all.”
He called on local and central health officials to pay serious attention to the condition of the hospital and, in addition to increasing the number of beds, expand treatment facilities for the public and establish ENT services there.
Abdul Sami Anwari, another resident of Qala-i-Nawcity, Badghis, said: “The hospital has far too few beds. During the recent traffic accident at Band-i–Sabzak, when the injured were brought to the hospital, we unfortunately faced serious problems because of the bed shortage. We want the hospital’s capacity to be expanded from 100 beds to at least 250 to 300 so that services can be provided equally to everyone.”
According to him, although the province’s hospital has only 100 beds, the daily influx of more than 1,000 patients seeking health services and primary care has created many problems.
Meanwhile, officials at the Badghis Public Health Directorate confirmed that the capacity of the Qala-i-Naw provincial hospital is low compared to the large number of patients, and that it needs further expansion to improve the delivery of health services.
Khan Mohammad Hemat, head of public health in Badghis, acknowledged the problem and said: “We have recently submitted proposals to the Ministry of Public Health for increasing or upgrading capacity and expanding health facilities. A delegation from the ministry came to assess the hospital, and steps are expected to be taken for its expansion.”
According to him, the province’s central hospital provides services in general internal medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric internal medicine, neonatology and nutrition, and offers these services to the public every day.
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