Kabul, July 12 — Residents of Gardez city in Afghanistan’s Paktia province have appealed to the Taliban administration to urgently reopen the local infectious diseases hospital, which has remained closed for several months. The hospital’s closure comes at a critical time as the region faces a sharp rise in infectious illnesses during the intense summer heat.
Local residents say financial hardships have left many unable to afford private healthcare, making the public hospital their only viable option. “We want the infectious diseases hospital to reopen. Illnesses have increased these days, the weather is very hot, and issues like coughing and shortness of breath have become more common,” said Asadullah, a Gardez resident, in comments reported by Afghan media outlet Tolonews.
Mohammad Khan, another resident, echoed these concerns, stating, “People can’t even afford to pay for transport or buy medicine. Our request to the government is to reopen this hospital to assist the people and the poor.”
Officials in Paktia have acknowledged the situation, explaining that the contract with the previous donor managing the 50-bed hospital has ended. “We are working to award a new contract to another donor so the hospital can resume services for infectious diseases and support the people of Paktia,” said Inamullah Salahuddin, Deputy Governor of Paktia.
The healthcare sector in Afghanistan has been severely impacted by the US decision to cut off aid, further straining medical facilities across the country. The Ministry of Public Health’s administrative deputy recently visited Paktia, emphasizing the urgent need to restore healthcare services nationwide.
As Gardez residents continue to face worsening health challenges amid soaring private medical costs, reopening the state infectious diseases hospital remains a pressing demand to provide accessible care for vulnerable populations.
