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FARAH, Afghanistan - The Farah Public Health Department director and five other provincial health officials visited Gulistan’s medical clinic Jan. 9, in order to assess the district’s health services, meet with district medical and security personnel, and deliver needed medicine.
Representatives from the district’s Afghan National Army, the chief prosecutor, hospital staff and other security personnel came together to meet with the visiting provincial health care experts.
“Our main goal was to evaluate health services and to see how provincial and district professionals can work together to improve health services for the people of Gulistan,” said Dr. Abdul Jabar Shayeq, director of Farah’s Public Health Department.
From their talk with the district health team, the provincial officials assessed the clinic is in need of a trained midwife, an ambulance to reach remote villages, communication capabilities, more medicine and increased security. Shayeq said the provincial health team would work to assist the district clinic in these challenges.
Shayeq said involving key district security leaders in the meeting was critical because insurgents have been trying to deny the public’s access to health care by intimidation and blockage of transport routes.
Visiting provincial officials urged the local representatives to work together to get needed health care to the community, despite insurgent attempts to prevent it.
“Without good health you cannot even pray. When insurgents prevent the people from receiving health care they are keeping them from prayer and from having a good life,” said Malik Afghan Wakili, Farah’s manager of the Coordination Humanitarian Assistance Organization, an Afghan non-governmental organization that is responsible for the provision of healthcare in community clinics.
Security leaders in the district agreed to work together to increase security in the area, which Shayeq said he hopes will allow more access to health care.
Among the group visiting from Farah was a medical provider who shared news with the Gulistan hospital staff that he would be joining their efforts at the clinic, which had been without a doctor for nearly 18 months.
“The staff was so happy to hear this news because having a doctor at the clinic will greatly improve the medical services to the people, which is our goal,” Shayeq said.
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 01.12.2011 00:13 |
| Story ID: | 63396 |
| Location: | FARAH, AF |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Farah health officials assess medical services in Gulistan, by Maj. Candace Park, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
