KABUL (SW) – A number of patients visiting public hospitals in Kabul say they have no access to most of the medicines forcing them to obtain the necessary medication from private pharmacies at high costs.
They add that sometimes they cannot afford to buy medicine from private pharmacies, which means they continue to struggle with the disease.
Humaira, a Kabul resident who came to one of the capital’s hospitals for treatment, says that inside the hospital, she can only obtain ordinary medicine for treating simple illnesses. She adds: “In government hospitals, there is a shortage of many drugs in the pharmacy, only ordinary medicines are available. We obtain expensive medicines for treating specific illnesses from outside the hospital. Expensive medicines should be available in government hospitals so that they can reach patients on time.”
Shir Ali, another patient, asks the Ministry of Public Health to provide all the necessary medicines for patients inside the hospitals. He adds: “There are no medications for heart diseases, blood pressure, and diabetes. We are prescribed medication every day, and we have to bring them from outside. The price for each prescription we get from outside ranges from 1200 to 2000 afghanis.”
Farhad, a caregiver to a patient at the Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, complained about the lack of medication in this hospital, saying that due to economic incapacity, he cannot afford to buy medication from outside and the required medication for his patient should be provided in the hospital.
He adds: “Our patient has kidney, gastrointestinal and gallbladder diseases. I bring all his medications from outside because they are not available here. I cannot afford to buy them because there is no money, and our economy is in bad shape. If the medication were available here, our expenses would be lower.”
On the other hand, doctors in government hospitals also confirm the shortage or lack of specialized medicine in these hospitals, saying that the aid organizations and the Ministry of Public Health focus more on providing primary medicines and provide fewer specialized medicines to government hospitals.
Sayed Farid, a specialist doctor at the Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, says: “Primary health services are provided. Specialized drugs, as they are not considered a general necessity and not everyone can use them, are not available, and their prices are high. Aid organizations also do not help, and the government does not have the capacity in this sector.”
The Ministry of Public Health has not commented on its plans to address the shortage of medicines in government hospitals recently.
However, the World Health Organization in Afghanistan announced on Tuesday that following the cessation of Red Cross aid to Afghan hospitals, it has provided medical kits and medicines worth over $4.4 million to 25 hospitals.
