Ghor Residents Complain of Specialist Doctor Shortage in Provincial Hospital

Residents of Ghor province report a shortage of specialist doctors at the provincial hospital, claiming that existing physicians cannot diagnose or treat even simple illnesses, endangering patients' lives. They state that due to this lack, they must travel to other provinces for care, incurring significant costs, and urge the Taliban-controlled Public Health Directorate in Ghor to address the issue.

Several residents shared experiences with Hasht-e Subh. Mohammad Ali, from Dawlatyar district, described how his one-year-old son suffered a respiratory issue from a foreign object. Doctors at the Ghor provincial hospital misdiagnosed it as pneumonia despite X-rays, leading to 17 days of incorrect treatment costing around 19,000 afghanis. The child was eventually treated successfully in Kabul for about 1,000 afghanis after one night of hospitalization.

Sharifa recounted her 21-year-old sister's two years of misdiagnoses at the provincial hospital and local clinics, resulting in advanced liver cirrhosis from hepatitis C going untreated. Transferred to Herat and then Kabul, the sister died, leaving an 18-month-old child orphaned. Sharifa noted that timely antiviral treatment could have cured over 95% of such cases.

Masoud from central Ghor said his mother was taken to the hospital for respiratory failure but lacked adequate facilities, requiring referral to Kabul where she died after one night. He believes basic treatment in Ghor might have saved her.

Mukhtar Wafa reported that even simple surgeries like varicocele are unavailable, forcing him to travel to Kabul and pay around 45,000 afghanis after selling land. Residents emphasize that improved specialist staffing and equipment are vital to prevent deaths from treatable conditions and reduce burdens on families unable to afford travel or private care.