Private hospitals in southeastern Paktika province are unable to provide standard health services, officials and residents said on Sunday.
Paktika Governor Mujibur Rahman Chamkani inspected several private hospitals during his visit to the Kherkot district of the province.
He checked work license of the hospitals and the healthcare services they offered. While some of the facilities were found working satisfactorily, others had problems in offering basic services.
The hospitals, where unqualified doctors treated patients, would face strict legal action, the governor warned.
During his trip to Kherkot district, the governor ordered the closure of a private hospital which did not provide people with standard health services.
Chamkani ordered the creation of a delegation in the framework of the Public Health Department to ensure the provision of quality services by all public and private clinics across Paktika.
Provincial council member Niamatullah Babari claimed substandard medicines were being sold in Paktika on the one hand and some people had opened private hospitals on commercial lines on the other.
Some of the private hospitals, functioning without work permits, were playing with the lives of the people. The public representative claimed.
Resident Ismat also grumbled that many health centers were without specialist doctors. As a result, problems of patients had increased, he said.
“Some elements have willfully opened health clinics as purely commercial centers. Such facilities don’t have specialist doctors but the government doesn’t pay any heed to the problem,” he complained.
Bashir Ahmad, suffering from a stomach ailment, said he had visited many health clinics, saying despite having appointments with several doctors, his problem persisted.
Meanwhile, Public Health Director Dr. Abdul Hadi Hashimi claimed having taken measures to address the issue. He promised stepped-up efforts to improve the situation.
