Some patients suffering from Tuberculosis (TB) said that the Infectious Diseases Hospital is a facing a shortage of medical supplies and this is causing difficulties.
Many of these patients are bedridden but do not have rooms, as the hospital is facing an overwhelming number of patients.
“There is nothing provided for the patient. When we tell them about our pain, they ask us to go out and bring the medicine,” said Khadija, a patient.
“There is not enough space. The new patients and the previous patients are being mixed and it causes their tests to be positive again,” said Shima, a patient.
Officials at the Infectious Diseases Hospital acknowledged the shortage of medical supplies. They also complained about the reduction in their salaries.
“We have risked our families to serve here. The Ministry (of Public Health) has reduced our salaries by 50 percent, we want them to restart it again,” said Mohammad Munir, a doctor.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said that around 140 people have died from tuberculosis this year.
“The MoPH has launched programs to increase public awareness and we provided free medical services in 852 centers,” said Javid Hazhir, a spokesman for the MoPH.
Before the outbreak of Covid-19, patients affected by TB were being treated in the Afghan-Japan hospital. But the Afghan-Japan hospital was allotted for Covid-19 and the patients suffering from TB are now being treated in the Infectious Diseases Hospital.
The Afghan-Japan Hospital, the only active center treating COVID-19 patients in Kabul, will be closed if the medical staff does not receive five months’ worth of unpaid wages within the week, officials of the hospital said.
Officials and medical staff members of the Afghan-Japan Hospital began their strike on Tuesday, claiming the hospital faces a lack of medicine and medical equipment and the government has not paid their salaries for the past five months.
They urged health officials (Ministry of Public Health) to provide medicine and equipment and take steps toward paying salaries; otherwise, the strike will continue.
“It has been five months that medical staff have not received salaries, in addition, the hospital lacks medical equipment like medicine and oxygen,” said Sabauddin, a doctor.
Another doctor at the Afghan-Japan hospital, Majid, said: “How can we serve our patients if there is no salary. The hospital will be shut down, our voices are not heard and answered.”
According to the officials at the hospital, the number of COVID-19 patients is on the rise. “We ask the WHO to provide financial support for hospitals. The coronavirus is increasing, and our hospital faces a lack of medicine and equipment,” said Wali Mohammad Wali, a doctor.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Public Health reported that at least 37 centers of COVID-19 have closed and the World Bank has cut off aid to Afghanistan.
“The World Bank had a contract with Afghanistan up to 2024, but after recent events the World Bank cut off aid and COVID-19 centers closed,” said Abdul Bari Omar, a deputy minister of public health.
The Ministry of Public Health announced that 600 COVID-19 patients were registered across Afghanistan during one month and 30 of the patients died of the virus.—Tolonews
