SHARANA (SW) – Residents of the earthquake affected districts in Paktika and Khost are worried about the possibility of the spread of various diseases among the displaced families.
Residents of Gyan district in Paktika, who have suffered the most damage, say they have contracted a variety of diseases since the quake. According to them, the number of patients is high and the facilities of the health department of this district do not respond to the situation.
Residents of Gyan district say many people suffer from malaria, diarrhoea, cough and mental illness, many of them women and children. They emphasise that the population of this district reaches 70,000, but health facilities are very limited.
“There are a lot of women’s problems, because a lot of women are under rubble and injured,” said Noor Jahan, a resident of Gyan district. “A female doctor is said to have arrived; But we have not seen this decision implemented. The situation is very bad and patients do not have access to clinics in remote areas.”
Meanwhile, Najibullah Zadran, head of the World Health Organization in Gyan district, acknowledged that malaria, shortness of breath, diarrhoea and mental illness were on the rise in the affected areas, and that serious measures should be taken to prevent them. He attributes these diseases to a lack of access to safe drinking water and air pollution.
Paktika health officials also acknowledge that there is a fear of the spread of various diseases in the quake-hit areas, but they say they are working with relief agencies to prevent the spread of the disease, and medical teams have been sent to the area to treat patients.
On the other hand, Qalandar Ebad, the head of the Ministry of Public Health, has acknowledged the existence of diseases and the possibility of its further spread if the situation of the people is not addressed. He assured of the efforts to address these challenges.
He expressed concerns about the future of residents in the affected districts, stressing that if left unattended, people, especially children, women and adults, may be more affected by the lack of facilities and shelter in the winter.
The head of the Ministry of Public Health added that the quake victims were facing a serious problem of homelessness and that their homes were either completely destroyed or in danger of being damaged as a result of the earthquake. He stated that they are trying to solve these problems.
ENDS
