Police turn Doab hospital into rest house

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Residents on Sunday complained police had occupied and turned into a rest house a hospital building in the Doab district of eastern Nuristan province.

They told Pajhwok Afghan News the government should vacate the hospital building from the police and allow doctors to start working at the 30-bed hospital.

Residents said they faced numerous problems as a result of the hospital’s closure because they had to take their patients to another district for treatment.

A local, Rehan, said the police started using the hospital building as their rest house after their own building was destroyed during clashes with militants. “Doctors of the hospital are unsure about their future because of the situation.”

Another resident, Rasikh Nuristani, told Pajhwok Afghan News that many patients had died on their way to hospital to Laghman province due to bad road condition.

“We have requested the police chief time and again that locals have been facing numerous problems due to lack of health services but not a single concrete step has been taken so far,” he protested.

A doctor, who wished anonymity, told Pajhwok Afghan News all staff of the hospital had been assigned duty at other health facilities.

The doctor also confirmed problems being faced by local residents, saying the government had failed to address their problems.

Acting Nuristan governor Hafiz Abdul Qayum admitted the hospital had been closed, but promised to take up the issue at his next meeting with security officials.

 “We know that people are facing many problems because of the the hospital closure and I assure them that we will address the issue on a priority basis and will reopen the hospital soon for locals”.

dai/ma

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