QALAT (SW) – A number of residents and health workers of Shahjoy and Khak Afghan districts in Zabul say that the lack of health services and equipment has caused the residents of these districts to face serious problems and even a number of patients whose health condition is serious, before reaching the city of Qalat, the center, lose their lives in this province.
They want the government and aid agencies to build new health centers, increase the number of doctors and solve the problems in the health sectors.
Azimuddin Nizami, a doctor in Khak Afghan district, said: “The number of patients and demands here are high because the hospital is small and the number of patients is large. We want the government to take care of health centers in remote districts.”
Imran, a doctor at the central clinic of Shahjoy district, also told Salam Watandar: “In addition to Shahjoy, patients in four other districts also visit this hospital. This hospital should become DH or at least CHC Plus because many patients whose condition is serious die here.”
According to the residents of these districts, they are unable to treat their patients in private hospitals due to poverty and unemployment.
Mohammad Idris says: “We come here on foot. My children have been poisoned but there is no medicine. I have to return empty handed. Because of poverty, we cannot buy medicine for our patients from the market.”
Gholam Rasul, another resident, said: “There are 20 to 25 villages here and the residents of all of them come to this clinic. People are very poor and even to transport patients to the hospital, it is very difficult to find a vehicle.”
Meanwhile, the officials of the Public Health Department of Zabul say that the government has identified 56 regions to establish health centers in order to solve people’s problems in this field.
Mirwais Afghan, head of public health in Zabul, said: “With the help of a survey team, we have identified 56 areas in Zabul. We have discussed this issue with all the donors, the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities so that these problems are resolved. A few months ago, we sent a team to Shahjoy district, and a mobile team is also with them.”
It should be mentioned that Shahjoy and Khak Afghan districts are two mountainous districts of Zabul whose residents are deprived of many other life facilities in addition to problems in accessing health services.
ENDS
