In the remote areas of Logar, there are growing concerns about the lack of quality healthcare facilities, with many residents unable to transfer patients in time to the provincial capital, Pol-e-Alam, for treatment.
Bismillah, a resident of Kharwar district of Logar, says that many women often die due to poor road conditions during their transfer from the district to Pol-e-Alam. “There isn’t large hospital, and our district is located in a remote area. Many patients die on the way to the center; people face serious health challenges,” he explains.
Some other residents of Logar also highlight the insufficiency of healthcare services currently provided by the Logar Public Health Department, urging that, in addition to Pol-e-Alam, accessible and quality healthcare be made available across all districts of the province.
They call on the Logar Public Health Directorate to take action against the sale of low-quality medicines in the province.
A patient at a healthcare center in Pol-e-Alam, Rohullah, says, “The quality of medicines is very low, and prices are high. I bought a pack of tablets from Pakistan for 50 kaldar rupees (13 AFN), but here, the same medicine is being sold for 50 afghanis.”
Similarly, Esmatullah, another Logar resident currently hospitalized in the provincial hospital, says that the healthcare centers in the province are inadequate and need expansion, along with free distribution of medicines to patients.
Esmatullah, who has been in the Logar Provincial Hospital for several days, says that the available medical facilities in the hospital are insufficient due to the high number of patients. “There isn’t enough space for patients, and because of the lack of space, five people have been placed in a single room, causing serious problems for the patients,” he added.
Despite these challenges, Fahimullah Lodin, the media officer for the Logar Public Health Directorate, responds that healthcare services have expanded compared to the past, and efforts are underway to extend services to the remote areas of the province based on public demand.
Mr. Lodin adds that over the past three years, in collaboration with several families and partner organizations, 47 new healthcare centers have been established in Pol-e-Alam and the more distant districts of Logar, providing services to thousands of patients daily.
“In the past year, new buildings have been constructed for many of these health centers,” he said.
Earlier, residents from remote parts of Logar had also reported that the shortage of female doctors in the province was hindering women’s access to healthcare services.
