Herat Zonal Hospital faces shortage of female doctors

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok):  Some women in western Herat province have complained against the shortage of female doctors and lack of health facilities in the Zonal Hospital and said they faced serious problems.

Samia, one of the visitors, said her relatives were hospitalized in the hospital for sometimes but there was no female doctor and little health facilities that forced them to transfer their patient to a private hospital for better treatment.

She said 90pc people referring to the hospital were poor people, adding that the lack of facilities and shortage of female doctors forced them to transfer their patients to private health centres.

She said female patients desperately needed female doctors and there were some points that could not be explained to the male doctor.

Herat Zonal Hospital that provides health facilities to the entire western zone has 650 beds for men and women.

Torpaikai, one of the patients, told Pajhwok Afghan News she was examined in the hospital but medical tests were conducted outside the hospital.

She said her economic situation were not good, adding that she would never referred to the Zonal Hospital if her economic situation was better.

Dr. Imamuddin Mahmoodi, one of the specialist doctors of the hospital, said the lack of medical facilities inside the country forced many patients to travel to foreign countries for treatment.

Hospital Director Dr. Mohammad Arif Jalali said 30 percent of the total medical staff were female and said the capacity of the hospital would be increased from 650 to 1,000 beds in the near future.

He added more posts were considered for female staff members in the hospital.

He said recently a number of new posts had been announced and examination for these posts had been taken to address the growing issues of patients.

He assured more vacant posts would also be announced soon to complete the human power of the hospital.

He also said the provision of medical facilities and resources for the hospital was his top priority which will be addressed in coordination with relevant authorities.

Herat residents believed the government should immediately address the shortage of female personnel issue in the hospital.

It is pertinent to mention that the Herat Zonal Hospital is one of the largest medical facilities in the west of the country where patients from Farah, Ghor and Badghis provinces also arrived for treatment.

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