GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Residents of southeastern Paktia province complain about the shortage of medical staff and medicines in the regional hospital and ask the government to pay attention to the health facility.
Azizullah, who had brought his ailing child to the hospital in Gardez, said: “I arrived here at 8am and my turn is yet to come, I have to wait for another few hours.”
He said the number of patients was high in the hospital that lacked enough medical personnel and as a result patients had to wait for hours to be examined.
Another person, Bismillah Zazi, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “My wife is admitted in the hospital since last four days. I have to buy medicines from the market many times a day, there is no medicine in the hospital.”
Similar views were expressed by other residents and called on the government and international organizations to resolve the issue of personnel and medicine shortage at the zonal hospital.
Head of the hospital, Dr. Nasir Ahmad Rahmani, told Pajhwok the basic problem was not lack of personnel and equipment but the high number of patients which had confronted them with problems in various departments.
He said previously about 800 patients visited the hospital but their number had currently increased to 1400. He said their hospital was provided facilities according to the contract.
He also asked the government and charities to help them in providing medical equipment and medicines.
He said he had shared these problems with government officials and hoped the problems would be resolved soon.
The Paktia Regional Hospital has 150 beds and it was made functional three years ago. Besides Paktia, people from nearby areas of Logar and Paktia also visit the hospital.
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