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GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Afghan patients watched curiously as the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team rolled into the parking lot of the provincial hospital in Ghazni City, June 26.
The PRT arrived to assess the current situation of the hospital and check on training services for hospital personnel with the hopes of maintaining its strong relationship with the medical directors.
U.S. and Polish medical members were given a short tour of the building and were able to gather more information on the 120-bed hospital.
Dr. Mohammad Ismail, the hospital director who graduated from Kabul Medical University, told the PRT that midwife training started six-months ago, and training for the hospital doctors has been ongoing for one month now.
“The midwife training is 18 months long, and 25 women are being trained,” Ismail explained. “I think it’s a good program because we don’t have enough midwives for the future. We’d definitely like to have more midwives in Afghanistan.”
He remarked that funding for nursing was insufficient, but the midwife training program was going well.
The United States Agency for International Development has helped the hospital. The agency, in consultation with the ministry of public health in Kabul, assists with a standardized program for midwives throughout Afghanistan.
“We don’t have sufficient funds for nurses,” said Ismail, “But USAID funds the midwife program, and it is working.”
The hospital’s biggest problem is a lack of training for staff. If they have to be trained, they must go to Kabul, which leaves the hospital short on staff for long periods of time. When they do get trained personnel down to Ghazni City, the pay isn’t good enough to keep them.
“No one is willing to operate the ultrasound machine because of the low salary,” Ismail said. “And we don’t have an X-ray technician, which is in the tuberculosis clinic.”
Fortunately, there are four gynecologists, six internal doctors, six pediatricians and two outpatient doctors. Eight midwives help run the maternity ward, and there are six female servants, four female doctors and four female nurses for the women patients.
Another challenge the hospital faces is a lack of medical supplies.
“Sometimes there’s a shortage,” the director said.
“While the hospital is mainly for civilians, Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army soldiers come to the clinic for care, which puts a strain on the staff, increases wait times for patients and depletes medical supplies,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Turner, Ghazni PRT medic from Annapolis, Md. “There are only four clinics in the country for ANA and ANP, so the Provincial Hospital is more accessible.”
Right now, the most common illnesses the hospital sees are gastrointestinal issues and malnutrition, and malaria and typhoid are not as prevalent in Ghazni province.
“Ghazni is not a warm place,” Ismail said. “We don’t have a huge case of malaria or typhoid here.”
The Ghazni PRT, along with the 655th Forward Surgical Team, help the hospital out by caring for Afghan patients with severe injuries since the hospital might not have the specialized training or equipment it needs.
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2010 19:02 |
| Story ID: | 52106 |
| Location: | GHAZNI CITY, AF |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 97 |
This work, Ghazni PRT assesses provincial hospital, by 1st Lt. Katherine Roling, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
