Report by: Nasratullah Tahirzai :
The 50-bed hospital for infectious diseases in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, has remained closed for the past eight months due to a lack of financial support.
Local residents say that with the current heat of summer, the number of infectious diseases has significantly increased in the community. However, local officials say steps are being taken to address this issue.
Residents of Paktia add that due to poverty, they cannot afford treatment at private hospitals and are calling for the immediate reopening of the infectious diseases’ hospital.
Gulab Khan, a resident of Paktia, said: “Illnesses are on the rise, the weather is extremely hot, and people are suffering from coughing and breathing difficulties. We want this hospital to reopen.”
Akhtar Gul, another resident, shared:“People are very poor — they can’t afford rent or even buy medicine. We request the government to reopen the hospital to support the people, especially the poor.”
Other residents have also urged the relevant authorities to take urgent steps to reopen the hospital, saying its closure has led to serious health challenges in the region.
Heywad, a local resident, said:“We ask the Ministry of Public Health and the authorities — if there is funding, please reactivate the hospital. People are facing serious health issues.”
Meanwhile, local officials confirm that efforts have begun to restore the hospital’s operations.
Inamullah Salahuddin, Deputy Governor of Paktia, stated:“We are working to contract the infectious diseases hospital again, and God willing, it will be reactivated soon so that it can provide health services to the people of Paktia and solve this issue.”
Although the U.S. decision to halt aid to Afghanistan has negatively affected the country’s health sector, during a visit to Paktia on the 15th of Saratan, the Administrative Deputy of the Ministry of Public Health reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring the delivery of healthcare services across the country.
