GHAZNI (SW) – Ghazni Public Hospital, housing 300 beds, caters to clients and patients not only from Ghazni but also from neighboring provinces. Despite the main building of Ghazni public hospital being partially constructed, the medical staff has been attending to hundreds of patients daily in the auxiliary buildings for the past four years.
Simultaneously, officials from the Public Health Department of Ghazni indicate that the fee collection process has commenced at the public hospital in this province. The public hospital officials in Ghazni explain that they levy fees on patients in accordance with the Ministry of Public Health’s guidelines for the provision of health services.
Noor-Rahman, a resident of Maidan Wardak, who brought his son to Ghazni public hospital for pneumonia treatment, told Salam Watandar that he must pay fees for each department he visits in the hospital.
Adela and Bilal, patients at Ghazni District Hospital, express that imposing fees in government hospitals infringes upon people’s rights. They seek clarification from the officials of the Public Health Department of Ghazni, emphasizing that government hospitals in many countries typically offer free health services.
Adele adds: “They charge from 50 to 100 Afghanis for each examination and from 500 to 1000 Afghanis for each operation. Fees should not be paid in government hospitals.”
“More people come from the districts, they come here only because of bad economic situation, to solve their problems, and it is not clear whether this is the original fee or not, said Bilal.
Civil activist Fatema Mohebi in Ghazni, criticizes the fee collection plan, stating that people cannot afford to pay fees to government hospitals. According to her, the government should take into account the economic conditions of the people before implementing such plans.
She adds: “The economic situation of the people is not so good that they can pay the fee. We ask officials and doctors to cancel this fee.”
Officials at the Public Health Department of Ghazni assert that the fee collection is carried out in accordance with an approved plan and the guidance provided by the Ministry of Public Health.
Rasool-Khan Nazari, the head of the public health department in Ghazni, assures transparency in the fee collection process, explaining that patient fees will be deposited into the bank through a transparent solution using Mastofit.
The payment of fees at government hospitals has raised concerns among patients in Ghazni. The district hospital in this province was funded and equipped by partner institutions until the beginning of the current year. Recently, with the suspension of support, the expenses of this hospital exceed the budget allocated by the Ministry of Public Health.
ENDS
