Patients decry Mehtarlam hospital staff

JALALABAD (PAN): Patients who visit the civil hospital in Mehtarlam, the capital of eastern Laghman province, return without being properly examined or provided with medicine, it is learnt.

A Mehtarlam resident, Abdul Khaliq, told Pajhwok Afghan News he had brought his sick son to the hospital on Monday evening and waited until 10pm, but no doctor turned up.

“After that time, a person came to us telling in harsh words to go out as it is late to be here,” he said, accusing staff of giving attention to patients only in return for money.

“The hospital is run by corrupt people and we can’t afford them anymore; they are thieves dressed in doctor uniforms,” an angry Khaliq said.

Another resident Ismail said doctors gave no attention to patients under the excuse that the hospital lacked facilities. “As we took our patient to the hospital, the staff there referred us to a hospital in neighbouring Nangarhar, where a doctor said take your patient to Peshawar,” said the 22-year-old.

He feared his ailing relative could die travelling the long distance to Peshawar as many had died on their way to Pakistan.

Other residents also complained about non-availability of beds, medicine and mismanagement.

They asked the government to address the problem and make available facilities at the hospital.

The hospital in-charge Dr. Attaullah Niazai acknowledged the facility had a capacity for 100 beds and they had placed 138 beds due to the number of patients admitted.

Meanwhile, Laghman Public Health Director Dr. Abdul Latif Qayumi said small health clinics operated in districts, where doctors referred the most of patients to Mehtarlam hospital which could not accommodate them all. However, he said the hospital would be expanded to 150-bed this year.

myn/ma

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