(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News)
ASADABAD (Pajhwok): Some residents of Saparai locality in the Watapor district of eastern Kunar province say they have been deprived of basic health facilities.
Haji Abdul Wali, a local tribal elder told Pajhwok Afghan News:“Over 1,500 families living in this locality are without health service and the inhabitants have to take their patients to the district for provincial hospitals bearing huge risks and difficulties.”
Sapari area is situated is about 18 kilometers away from the district health center and the local residents were unable are not able to take the patients on time for medical service.
He asked the government to build a standard clinic in Sapari area.
Ghulam Sayed, another tribal elder of this area said, mostly the patients die on the way to the district health center.
He said:“Our life is full of problems, maternity patients face life threatening problems due to the lack of clinic in the area.”
He said, most of the time women do not reach health centers and die on their way to the health center. Ghulam Sayed asked the government to build a hospital in their area.
Religious Scholar Maulavi Mohammad Anwar said the villagers are forced to travel to the district clinic or travel to provincial capital for small health problems.
The residents of this area criticized that the officials of the current and previous governments only made promises and never took practical steps, he added.
He said:“However the road to our area is broken, bumpy and rough, the vehicles do not travel every day on this way, majority of the residents are busy in ranching and agriculture, they cannot afford 3,000 or 4,000 afs fares of taxi to take their patients to the Hospital.”
According to Mohammad Anwar, having access to health services is the right of everyone; the government must facilitate standard health services for the people.
But the provincial officials of Kunar province said, they have already shared the issue of Sapari area residents with the officials of Ministry of Public Health, they hoped that the sub-health center will be established in that area.
Qari Muzafar Mukhlis, the head of provincial directorate of Public Health told Pajhwok:“We have planned the establishment of a sub-health center in Sapari area of Watapor district, the plan consisted the building of eight rooms for the health center”.
He expressed hope that 24-hour health services will be provided in this area according to the needs of the people.
According to the local residents Sapari is a mountainous area and it made movement difficult for them.
Aw/nh