The majority of Ghor province residents are complaining about a lack of access to healthcare services. They claim that this province has not experienced balanced development over the past two decades and is facing even more extensive challenges with the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. Some residents of Ghor province’s districts, particularly Pasaband district, allege that they have no access to even the most basic healthcare services, and in most areas of this district, medicines are unavailable. They state that in the health clinics of Pasaband district, in addition to a shortage of medicines, there are no specialist doctors, leading to significant difficulties for the residents. These residents claim that the lack of medication and treatment has resulted in the death of patients in this district, and they also cannot transfer patients to other areas.
Ghor province is one of the mountainous provinces of Afghanistan, with challenging and impassable transportation routes. During the winter season, most of the passages to and from the districts of this province are cut off from the center of the province. As winter approaches, the residents of most of Ghor province’s districts express concerns about their limited access to healthcare services.
However, the residents of Pasaband district in Ghor province insist that healthcare centers in this district lack even the most basic facilities, to the extent that medicines are unavailable in these facilities. The residents of this district explicitly state that due to the lack of resources, their doctors refer them to Firozkoh City the center of this province, or other provinces, but the majority of the population cannot afford to travel to healthcare centers outside the region.
Mohammad Alam, one of the residents of Pasaband district, alleges that none of the governments in the country have paid adequate attention to this district, especially in the healthcare sector, resulting in the loss of many patients due to the absence of healthcare facilities and medicines. According to him, critically ill patients and those injured in motorcycle accidents have lost their lives due to the shortage of medicine and the absence of ambulances for transfer to other centers. This Pasaband resident calls for serious attention from responsible authorities in this regard.
The shortage of healthcare facilities and the absence of essential services have left the residents of Pasaband district feeling overwhelmed. Some of them claim to be deprived of healthcare resources, and even the most basic medicines are unavailable in the health clinics of this district.
Ahmad Shah, a resident of Sini village in Pasaband district, spoke to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, stating that there is no medication available in the health center of this area. According to his assertion, their village clinic lacks medicines and basic healthcare facilities. He said, “There are no facilities available, and as a result, patients in the clinic are not receiving the necessary medications. This situation is dire, with people losing their lives due to the lack of medical supplies. It feels as if there is nothing in place to address these critical needs.”
This resident of Sini village adds that people in these areas suffer from economic hardships and cannot afford to treat their patients. He elaborates, “One of our relatives was burned. When we took him to the clinic, we couldn’t find any burn ointment, and there were no bandages. They told us to transfer the patient elsewhere. We didn’t have the means, and our burn victim died right before our eyes.”
The shortage of medicine and the lack of equipment in Ghor province remain ongoing concerns for its residents. Some relief organizations have suspended or halted their activities in this province due to pressure from the Taliban and the group’s interference in the distribution of humanitarian aid. The residents of this province claim that they bear the brunt of the local Taliban’s policies, which leave them even more deprived.
These residents complain about the Taliban’s policies towards aid organizations, highlighting that previously, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which funded healthcare sectors in Ghor province, had suspended its activities due to Taliban opposition. However, it remains unclear whether UNICEF’s activities in Ghor province have returned to normal or not. Nonetheless, the Taliban have called the challenges in this province a long-standing issue.
It should be noted that residents of most districts in Ghor province have repeatedly complained about the shortage of medicines and the absence of ambulances in health centers. They have stated that due to the lack of healthcare facilities and resources, they are forced to transport critically ill patients on motorcycles, putting their lives at risk.
It is worth mentioning that the residents of Pasaband district in Ghor province are expressing concerns about the healthcare situation in their district, as the World Health Organization has recently issued a warning about the increase in malaria cases in Afghanistan and the lack of its diagnosis and treatment. The organization emphasized the need for essential medications and supplies for this disease to be regularly available in public health centers.
