By Kashmir Khan,Nasrin Sayedi
Copyright pajhwok
FEROZKOH (Pajhwok): A resident of Yakhan Sofla village in Taywara district of western Ghor province has constructed a building for a health centre in the village at a cost of more than 1.5 million afghanis.
The initiative comes as local residents suffer from inadequate healthcare services and they are now calling for the facility to be equipped and activated.
According to available information, Taywara district— located 220 kilometres south-west of Ferozkoh city— has one local hospital and several health centres.
However, medical facilities remain limited and many people have to travel to other cities for treatment.
Yakhan Sofla is one of the district’s villages where hundreds of families live. Some residents say there is no health centre in this village or in the neighbouring areas, forcing them to always travel to the district centre for medical care.
A humanitarian initiative by a local resident
Qari Mohammad Javed, an inhabitant of Yakhan Sofla, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “I built this health centre so that people in our village and nearby areas— who have long struggled with lack of access to healthcare— could get treatment. Pregnant women, children and the elderly especially face great hardship, as they always have to travel to the district centre.”
He added that although the building has been completed and was ready for use, it remained non-functional due to a lack of staff, equipment and other essentials.
He asked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and organisations supporting the health sector to assist with staffing, equipping and developing the centre.
“I did what I could, but without the support of the government and international organisations, it will be difficult to run this centre at a proper level. We need medicine, diagnostic equipment, and professional staff,” he said, expressing hope that the facility would soon be staffed and equipped to serve local communities effectively.
Residents hope the clinic will soon become operational
Abdul Rahim Noori, another villager, appreciated the construction of the centre and said: “If a child falls ill or a pregnant woman needs urgent care that midwives cannot handle, we are forced to travel for hours by car, motorcycle, or even on foot to reach the district centre. Now that a clinic has been built by a generous man, we are very happy.”
He urged aid agencies and the provincial health department to equip the facility and assign staff so that people no longer face such difficulties.
Similarly, Khair Mohammad, another resident, welcomed the initiative: “We desperately needed this clinic. Whenever someone got sick, we didn’t know how to manage taking them to the district centre or the city. Now that this clinic has been built, we are very glad. May Allah reward Qari Sahib for this effort.”
Nooruddin, another Taywara resident, added: “We are very happy this clinic has been built in our village, but without medicines, advanced equipment and staff, we will still be forced to take our patients to the city or district centre. Our request to the government and organisations is to provide doctors, nurses, and proper equipment so patients can be treated right here.”
Health expert: A major step towards improving healthcare
Fazl-ul-Haq Farjad, a doctor in Ghor province, said that constructing the clinic in such a remote village — where no health facility existed previously — marks an important step towards improving public health.
“The presence of healthcare centres in remote areas, particularly in districts where access to medical services is extremely limited, is both vital and necessary,” he stressed.
However, he pointed out that merely constructing a building is not enough, and facilities must be furnished with medical equipment, medicines, and skilled staff. He called on aid organisations to cooperate with the provincial health department in this regard.
Provincial Health Director: Efforts under way to equip the centre
Sheikh Abdul Wahid Hamas, director of the public health in Ghor, said that in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, they would work to equip the clinic and include it in the official health network.
“Establishing health centres in remote areas is one of our priorities. Today, we witness the charitable initiative of Qari Mohammad Javed, who has handed over the building of a Basic Health Centre (BHC). God willing, we will work to develop it under a proper plan,” he said.
He added that the facility would provide primary healthcare services, especially for women and children.
Without giving details, he acknowledged that some health centres in remote areas of the province still operate in rented buildings due to a lack of proper facilities.
He described Qari Mohammad Javed’s initiative as a model for others in the province and urged residents to cooperate with health authorities in improving healthcare delivery.
