GHAZNI CITY (SW) – Some residents of Ghazni province voice concern over the shortage of doctors and the low quality of healthcare services in the pediatric ward of the province’s public hospital, saying that they are facing numerous challenges.
They emphasize that they are sometimes forced to seek treatment for their patients in private clinics.
Mohammad Akram, a patient who visited the Ghazni provincial hospital, complains about the shortage of doctors and the failure to admit patients. He says, “There are many patients here, and we do not have enough specialist doctors; there is the need of increasing doctors. My six-month child has been sick for a while and is still not hospitalized.”
Another patient, Benazir, criticizes the poor quality of healthcare services for children in this hospital and emphasizes that they are sometimes compelled to visit private clinics.
“The appointment has not even arrived yet, there is only one doctor, and all patients are seen by one doctor. The medications provided are often inadequate; sometimes just a single type of medication is given. People are forced to resort to private clinics, especially when the cases are urgent,” she added.
Meanwhile, Niaz Mohammad Noori, the head of the provincial hospital in Ghazni, confirms the shortage of doctors in the pediatric department but mentions efforts to recruit doctors for this section of the hospital.
Noori adds, “It has been two months since the esteemed JACK Foundation submitted the hospital’s deficiencies. Previously, ADA institution used to finance the hospital, but the transformation from one institution to another itself poses a challenge and a problem. Two doctors from our pediatric unit succeeded in their specialty exams, and they left two months ago when their positions were vacant. One of our doctors from the emergency or surgical unit succeeded in his specialization. During these days, five MD doctors from the Jack Foundation were assigned to us.”
The shortage of doctors and the challenges in providing standard medical services in public hospitals are among the most serious challenges that citizens suffer from, leading to increased visits to private clinics.
