35 Health Centers Closed in Ghazni Due to Delay in Humanitarian Aid

Although local officials report that 15 of these health centers have recently resumed operations, they say that around 100,000 residents in remote areas remain deprived of essential health services or face limited access due to the closures.

Zarak Zairak, the head of Ghazni’s Public Health Department, said: “Mobile teams, BLCs, and family health departments were among those closed. Some parts have now resumed operations, while others are still inactive. In addition, we have dozens of other ‘white zones’ without services. These centers should never have been closed, and instead, we should have extended services to our other uncovered areas, which unfortunately did not happen.”

Samin Nikfar, the provincial representative of the organization providing health services in Ghazni, added: “In remote areas, cases of malnutrition were common, along with other infectious diseases. Not everyone could receive treatment at clinics, and now the number of patients has increased while access to care has become even more difficult.”

According to local officials, the closed health centers were active in remote “white zones” of Ghazni, providing basic primary healthcare services to patients.

Meanwhile, local residents say that the closure of these health centers has increased concerns about maternal and child health, and access to emergency maternity services has become severely limited.

Barkuddin, a resident of Ghazni, said: “These clinics were very helpful for us. There were clinics covering five to six villages, and we didn’t face many problems. But since these centers were closed, challenges have increased, especially maternal and child mortality cases.”

Another resident, Abdul Ghiyas, said: “In our area, problems and deaths during childbirth are common. Since we live far from Muqur, Qarabagh, and Ghazni city, mobile clinics would be very beneficial for us.”

At the same time, officials from the Ghazni Public Health Department say efforts are ongoing to reopen the closed clinics, expressing hope that they will resume operations soon.

They also added that approval has been granted for the construction and upgrading of 40 new health centers across the province, which, once completed, will help resolve up to 90% of health-related problems in the region.

It is worth noting that currently around 150 large and small health centers are operating in Ghazni city and its districts.