AT News
KABUL: Since 18 years, there have been no building constructed for the provincial hospital in eastern Nuristan province and health services in the province are nearly equal to naught, local residents grumbled on Friday.
Local inhabitants claimed that even minor diseases couldn’t be treated in the province and that the limited number of health centers was operating in rented homes belonging to people.
Nuristan authorities admitted the problems in this regard, adding efforts were ongoing to resolve them next year.
Residents of Nuristan, which is one of the remote provinces of the country, accused the government of double standards in this regard, saying they even didn’t have access to normal health services.
They said health services in Nuristan amounted to almost nothing compared to its neighboring provinces, adding they faced serious issues in this regard.
Razia, the sole female doctor in Nuristan, said she came to the provincial capital, Parun city, every day from a remote district to discharge her duty; however, she didn’t a have proper place for residing in the provincial center.
Dr. Safar Jan Hashamzai, a health center head in the province, termed public issues in this regard serious, adding the current health clinics couldn’t meet people’s needs and thus the services provided should be expanded.
Dr. Mira Azam, the provincial public health department’s complaints in-charge, admitted the problem but said efforts were ongoing to resolve it next year.
According to local health officials, despite work on a building for the provincial hospital started three years ago, it was brought to a halt a year ago due to some issues with the contracted construction company.