A 60-bed maternity unit of a hospital in northern Badakhshan province has closed, raising concerns for women in the province and leaving around 73 female staff unemployed, according to two hospital sources.
The sources said that the hospital had been sponsored by an international non-profit organization for the past six years, but staff have been told the hospital no longer has the budget for it.
It’s not clear how or why the funding was cut.
Among the staff to lose their jobs are four specialists and several doctors.
“Since the closure of the 60-bed women’s section, currently only one government unit with 30 beds is operational to provide health services to mothers and newborns. However, it does not adequately meet the comprehensive needs of patients,” said one of the sources, who was not authorised to speak to media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The situation in the government hospital is dire, with four patients being treated per bed, posing a risk of spreading various other diseases,” they added.
A second source at the hospital said that several doctors and staff members have discussed the issue with the Taliban’s Public Health Director in Badakhshan province regarding the issue.
“The Public Health Director just makes promises, but leaves us uncertain about any real progress,” the source said.
