Residents of Kandahar's Miyanshin District Cite Lack of Healthcare Services Putting Lives at Risk

Residents of Miyanshin district in southern Kandahar province report that limited access to basic healthcare services has endangered lives, forcing families to travel long distances for treatment with often fatal outcomes.

The remote, mountainous district lacks functioning health centers and trained medical staff, residents said. Nearby clinics are poorly equipped and short of medicines. "There is no clinic here," said Naqibullah, a resident of Miyanshin. "We want a clinic to be rebuilt. Even clinics in neighbouring districts do not have medicine or facilities. Reaching them takes at least an hour, and many patients die on the way or their condition worsens."

The situation is particularly dire at night due to scarce transportation and high costs for emergency travel. "When someone falls seriously ill at night, we have to search the village for a vehicle," said Rozi Gul, another resident. "Sometimes the cost is 10,000 to 15,000 afghanis. We take the patient to Kandahar city, but either they die on the road or arrive in critical condition."

Miyanshin is among rural districts where healthcare access has deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, amid shortages of funding, infrastructure and personnel. Aid agencies warn that remote communities, especially women, children and the elderly, are disproportionately affected.

Afghanistan's health system relies heavily on international aid, with many facilities operating at reduced capacity or facing closure due to funding constraints, according to the United Nations and humanitarian groups.

Residents have urged local authorities and health organizations to establish equipped health centers and deploy trained staff to prevent avoidable deaths.