Residents of Kharwar and Azra districts in Afghanistan’s Logar province complain on lack of access to adequate health services. Logar’s health officials also acknowledged the lack of supplies in the health sector in the two districts, saying that people have better access to health services now than in the past.
Sayed Wali, a resident of Azra district in Logar province, told Hasht-e Subh that, among other challenges, they have been facing a shortage of medicine and medical staff in the district for three years. “Azra is one of the most remote districts in Logar, so we, the people, suffer insufficient medicine and lack of health personnel, in addition to unemployment and other life challenges,” he added. “When we get sick and we have to take the patient to the health center, it’s very hard for us. Not to mention that most patients die along the way to the health center,” he said.
Hazrat Wali, another resident of Azra district, told Hasht-e Subh reporter that the residents of this district do not have access to health services. “Simultaneously with the rising unemployment and economic hardship, in this difficult time, people are not able to treat their patients in private-owned health centers,” he added.
This resident of Logar stated that they have raised the issue with Logar’s health officials several times, but no one has paid attention.
Residents of Kharwar district of the province also struggle with such a problem. Bahram Khan (a pseudonym), a resident of Kharwar district, said that they are deprived of the most basic necessities of life. He added that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had allocated some medicine for the district, which is not sufficient with respect to demand for medicine and health services.
Residents of Logar urge health officials to address the issue as soon as possible.
Logar health officials say that the residents of the two districts had more access to health services than in the past. Qudratullah Adel, the Taliban’s Director of Public Health in Logar, said the province had 72 active health centers, but now the province’s health sector face lack of fund to get the health centers and facilities operational. Adel assured the residents of Azra and Kharwar districts that positive steps would be taken to solve their health problems.
Kharwar and Azra are among the most remote districts in Logar province that is forgotten by government officials for years.
[highlight color=”gray”]Hasht-e Subh Persian[/highlight]