Residents of Takhar province have expressed concerns over the shortage of essential medicines at the provincial hospital in Taloqan, the capital of the province. They report that many necessary medications, particularly in the emergency department, as well as X-ray films needed for patients, are being sold at low prices outside the hospital.
Some residents of Taloqan, the center of Takhar province, have voiced complaints about the lack of effective oversight by the Taliban’s public health directorate over the province’s public hospital. They claim that certain doctors at the Takhar provincial hospital refer patients to private clinics and hospitals for examinations based on personal financial interests, with pharmacies in these private facilities paying a specific percentage to the referring doctors for each patient.
These residents further state that the emergency department of the provincial hospital lacks medicines, forcing patients to purchase their required medications from external pharmacies. They note that the absence of rigorous oversight by the Taliban has led some patients, due to financial constraints and the lack of free medicines at the hospital, to forego treatment altogether.
Jamaluddin (pseudonym), an employee at the Takhar provincial hospital, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that medicines donated by various organizations are secretly sold to external pharmacies in coordination with the hospital manager, the pharmacy supervisor, and some support staff. This includes critical emergency medicines and X-ray films.
The hospital employee added: “In this hospital, some high-value medicines, including packs of X-ray films, are sold outside. The market price for a pack of X-ray films is around 7,000 Afghanis, but these films are sold at pharmacies and clinics connected to the hospital for between 4,000 and 5,000 Afghanis.” He alleges that most of these X-ray films are transferred to private centers and pharmacies opposite the hospital, where they are traded. According to him, despite repeated complaints from the public about the hospital, the Taliban have taken no action to address the issue so far.
With the arrival of the hot season in Takhar, seasonal illnesses have surged, and residents are grappling with severe economic hardship, making it difficult for them to afford necessary medicines.
Sadruddin, a resident of the Qara-Mulla area in Taloqan city, stated that none of the required medicines are available at the provincial hospital, and city pharmacies sell the prescribed drugs at triple the standard price.
This Taloqan resident added: “The main problem is that some critical emergency medicines are not available at the hospital’s pharmacy, and outside, pharmacy owners sell medicines to people at whatever price they choose. This is corruption and a form of theft, and the officials of the public health directorate have taken no action.”
Hamidullah, another resident of Taloqan City whose son suffered a leg fracture in a traffic accident, said that due to the unavailability of X-ray films, he was forced to pay 600 Afghanis for an X-ray outside the hospital. He added: “The doctor prescribed medication for me, but since the cost of the medicine was 5,350 Afghanis, I could only afford to buy half of it from outside.”
Ehsanullah (pseudonym), an employee of the Taliban’s public health directorate, said that despite raising the issues at the provincial hospital with the directorate’s authorities in Takhar, no attention has been given to these matters so far.
Ehsanullah added: “People have raised complaints about this issue, but no action has been taken by the responsible authorities to address it. I expect that officials will take serious steps to resolve the shortage of medicines and prevent their illegal sale within the hospital.” He emphasized: “There is a shortage of medicines and instances of medicines being sold within the hospital. We have received complaints, but action must be taken by hospital authorities. Under current regulations, we cannot take stricter measures.”
This comes as the intense summer heat has led to a rise in seasonal illnesses among Takhar residents, particularly among poor families, with the lack of adequate healthcare facilities exacerbating the problem.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
