KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): A number of residents in remote districts of southeastern Khost province say a shortage of health centres in their areas has left patients, particularly women, facing serious challenges.
Local officials, however, say efforts are underway to expand healthcare services across all areas.
Yousaf Gurbaz, a resident of Gurbaz district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that there is only one clinic in the entire district, which he said is insufficient for the population and unable to provide standard healthcare services.
He urged the authorities to increase the number of health facilities in the district.
“Gurbaz is a border district and there is only one clinic in the whole area. There are villages with no health centres at all. We ask the government to build clinics in these remote areas as the need is very high,” he said.
Qadirullah Amirzai, a resident of Zazi Maidan district, said some emergency patients die on the way to the provincial capital due to long distances, particularly pregnant women during childbirth.
He added: “We have lost many mothers during childbirth due to the lack of health centres. We call on the authorities to pay serious attention to healthcare services in rural areas.”
Rahmanullah, a resident of the Shawia area of the same district, said there is no health centre in his village and emergency obstetric cases are taken to district clinics or Khost city via difficult and mountainous roads.
“When an obstetric patient is found here, there is very little hope she will survive the journey. Sometimes the baby dies and sometimes the mother is also at risk. We have serious problems and there is no clinic here,” he said.
Eng. Gul Rahim, a resident of Bak district, said health facilities across all districts of Khost need expansion to reduce maternal and child mortality.
He said: “Large clinics should be built in all districts of Khost. Some areas do not have transport facilities to take patients to the city and many mothers have died on the way. We ask the government to pay serious attention to remote areas.”
Another resident of Bak district, Noor Wali, said existing health centres are unable to provide standard services in proportion to the population of remote districts.
He stressed the need for more health facilities across Khost to reduce maternal and child deaths.
“If we had a dedicated maternity ward here, patients would be treated in a short time. We need this, but so far nothing has been provided,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director of Public Health Dr. Sher Agha Zadran said construction of 12 50-bed hospitals in all districts of the province would begin soon, which would largely address the problems of residents in remote areas.
“Twelve district general hospitals have been approved for Khost by the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and the final arrangements have been completed. In the coming days, you will see that we will have a 50-bed hospital in each district, with specialists in all departments,” he said.
He added that around 11 clinics in Khost city and some districts are still operating in unsuitable private buildings due to a lack of proper facilities.
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