April 7 (SW) – Women in Panjshir and Parwan provinces, primarily residing in rural villages, are particularly vulnerable to dental health problems due to limited access to proper medical services and dentists in public hospitals. These women say that the dire economic situation also prevents them from seeking treatment in private hospitals.
A resident of Panjshir, Najla, seeking dental treatment in Provincial Hospital of Panjshir, says, “About 10 of my teeth are damaged when I was pregnant. When I go to the clinic, they either pull out the tooth or give me a medicine like paracetamol. People cannot afford to go to private clinics,” Najla told Salam Watandar. “The dental department of Panjshir public hospital should be standardized.”
Khwaja Aqa Ghafouri, the deputy director of Panjshir Public Health Directorate, confirmed the lack of dentists and primary medical services in this province, saying that last year, 15,000 people visited the public hospital for treatment for dental problems.
“There are two government doctors in two health centers across Panjshir province, which include abscess treatment and tooth extraction. During the year 1402 [solar year], about 15,000 patients who had dental problems visited these centers,” he said.
Zarmina, a resident of Parwan, who visited a private dentist for dental treatment, complains about the lack of facilities and high cost of dental treatment in the public hospitals. “Most women are facing this problem, the cost is high and the economy is dire. They cannot visit private doctors. In public hospitals, they only extract the tooth.”
Meanwhile, Saleha, a dentist in Parwan Provincial Hospital says that in last year, nearly 20,000 people have visited the hospital for dental treatment.
“Women, children, and men are registered in the OPD book of the dental section. most of the patients are pregnant women,” she said.
According to Ms. Saleha, the dental problems are mostly caused by lack of vitamin C, multivitamins, and calcium.
According to health officials from Panjshir and Parwan provinces, in one year, an alarming 35,000 individuals sought treatment for dental problems at public hospitals in these regions.
