GARDEZ - The residents of southeastern Paktia province have complained against the lack of health services and said sometimes they refer to private clinics for the treatment of a small illness.
They said that besides Central Hospital, health clinics in the districts and far-flung areas lacked basic health equipment that made the treatment of patients difficult.
Abdul Wahid, the resident of Ahmadabad district, said the lack of medicines in the health centres of their district was a huge problem. He said there was no basic gynecological equipment.
“More doctors should be appointed, problems on the level of Zonal Hospital should be resolved,” he said, adding that doctors stopped going to private clinics during the official time.
Paktia Health Department Director Walayat Khan Ahmadzai said due to the lack of budget the contracting company is unable to address the health issues of local clinics thus work on more projects with assisting organization was underway.
He rejected the possibility of corruption in Zazai Aryub clinics and said an increase in the number of female doctors, construction of clinics and hospitals in some districts and provision of mobile ambulance services is needed.
But the new contracted NGO head Dr. Fazil Rahman Mangal blamed the issue on the Ministry of Public Health and said they had been given the contact too late.
Mangal told Pajhwok they had been trying hard to supply medicines and other required equipment to clinics within 10 days.
“The ministry should have contracted the NGO before winter and with a proper plan but despite this, we try to resolve the issue in the earliest possible,” he added. (Pajhwok)