Residents of Muqur District in Ghazni Province have expressed concerns about the poor quality of healthcare services at the district’s public clinic. They report that most clinic staff are unqualified individuals appointed in place of specialized doctors. According to them, these appointments are often based on ethnic affiliations or personal connections rather than professional qualifications. This situation has created significant challenges for patients, who say the lack of skilled staff and effective healthcare services forces them to seek treatment in Ghazni’s provincial capital or other provinces, a costly and burdensome endeavor for many families.
Some residents of Muqur, in interviews with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, also complained about inappropriate behavior by certain healthcare workers toward Persian-speaking patients. They claim that these workers treat ordinary people disrespectfully while providing preferential treatment and special accommodations to their relatives and acquaintances.
Gul Muhammad (pseudonym), a resident of Muqur District, voiced concerns about the lack of specialized staff at the district’s healthcare facility. He stated that most clinic employees are appointed not based on merit or expertise but through connections and ethnic favoritism. As a result, residents are compelled to travel to Ghazni’s provincial capital or other provinces for treatment.
He added, “One of the main issues at the Lasgin-Lasu Clinic is the lack of specialized medical staff. Most of those appointed here have been hired due to connections or ethnic biases, not professional qualifications. Additionally, there is discrimination and ethnic favoritism at the clinic. Patients who are relatives of the doctors receive better services, while others face delays or neglect in care.”
Sayed (pseudonym), another resident of Muqur District, noted that the entire district lacks even a single specialist in ear, nose, throat, or eye care. He urged the Taliban to hire a specialist for the district’s public clinic to address the healthcare needs of residents unable to travel outside the district.
He further explained, “A few days ago, I had to take my nephew to Kabul for ear treatment, which was very costly. There isn’t a single ear, throat, or eye specialist in the entire Muqur District. We ask the authorities to address this issue seriously.” Sayed also alleged that the public clinic in Muqur practices ethnic and linguistic discrimination, with Persian-speaking patients facing unfair treatment.
He stated, “When we visit the district’s public clinic for treatment, we face severe discrimination. There are neither proper medications nor adequate healthcare services for Persian speakers. It feels as though we come from a different tribe or ethnicity.”
Residents also highlighted other significant issues, including a shortage of medicines, inadequate medical equipment, and unsanitary conditions at healthcare facilities. They say these problems not only degrade the quality of medical services but also endanger patients’ health. The residents of Muqur District are calling for urgent and serious action from responsible government institutions to address these challenges.
Muhammad, a resident of Muqur District in Ghazni Province, stated that the district’s healthcare facilities suffer from a severe shortage of specialized staff and medications. He added that many healthcare workers lack the necessary skills and qualifications to provide adequate care. In the absence of doctors and medicines, people are forced to turn to private pharmacies, which are financially burdensome and difficult for many families.
Muhammad reiterated, “We urge health institutions to provide professional staff, medicines, and necessary equipment to the healthcare centers in Muqur District and to cooperate seriously with the people of this district.”
Saadiq, another resident of Muqur, said that patients struggle to secure initial appointments with doctors, as these are either sold or reserved for the relatives of clinic staff. He added that discrimination in the distribution of medicines is prevalent, with Persian-speaking patients rarely receiving complete prescriptions. According to Saadiq, this situation has caused widespread dissatisfaction among the population.
He continued, “The clinic staff lack even the basic ability to insert an IV cannula. I wish a delegation from the health directorate would visit, not officially, but anonymously, to witness the people’s struggles firsthand. Even in the medicine queue, there is ethnic discrimination. They took my prescription and gave it to someone else, who received all their medications, while I was given only half of what I needed.” He added that in cases where patients do receive medicines from the clinic, they are often ineffective. Saadiq noted that when patients seek care at larger medical facilities, doctors criticize them for not starting treatment earlier.
The public clinic in Muqur District serves not only hundreds of families in the area but also residents of neighboring regions such as Gilan, Nawa, Paito, Shinkai, Kuhband, and Auband, who rely on it for healthcare services.
Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the closure of several healthcare centers it supported in Afghanistan this year. However, in its latest report, the organization stated that it continues to support 131 primary healthcare centers across 20 provinces in the Afghanistan.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
درمان با تبعیض؛ باشندهگان مقر غزنی از کمبود دارو و برخورد قومی شکایت دارند
