Several Doctors Resign and Health Workers Face Dismissals in Ghor Province Under Taliban Administration

Sources in Ghor province state that several employees of the provincial hospital have been dismissed on the orders of Abdulwahid Hamas, the head of the Taliban's public health department in Ghor, while some doctors have resigned due to pressure from him. A source speaking to Etilaat Roz newspaper said that four male specialists and two female specialists have resigned, and two others have left their jobs for studies. According to the source, six midwives have also been removed and replaced with other individuals, two midwives have resigned, and seven male nurses have been dismissed on charges of membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir.

However, Etilaat Roz has obtained documents confirming the resignation of two specialists and the dismissal of three health workers in Ghor's health sector. Based on these documents, Mohammad Aref Lalzad, a surgery specialist, and Mohammad Wali Hassanzai, a general internal medicine specialist, have resigned. One of the dismissed employees, Hafizullah, is a nurse at Ghor hospital. He has complained to the Taliban's administrative reforms department, stating that he was illegally removed and that someone else was hired in his place. According to the source, Amanullah, who was previously a police officer in the Taliban government, has been hired in place of Hafizullah.

Based on documents obtained by Etilaat Roz, Mohammad Es-haq, the disease control manager of Ghor's public health department, has also complained to the Taliban's Amr bil Maruf department that the public health head dismissed him and hired his relatives in his place. Abdulwahid Hamas, the head of the Taliban's public health department in Ghor, responded to Etilaat Roz reporter's questions about the dismissals and resignations of doctors and hospital employees in Ghor by saying that most of this issue is propaganda. He stated that one specialist has gone abroad to pursue super-specialty training. Hamas denied the dismissal of nurses, saying that nursing positions are vacant and hiring is ongoing. He added that the issue with Hafizullah has been resolved and he has returned to his duties. Hamas claimed that Ghor hospital had no female specialists who resigned.

Based on documents received by Etilaat Roz, the driver of Ghor's public health department has also been dismissed, and the public health head has hired his brother in his place. In response to questions about the dismissal of the department's driver, Hamas, the head of the Taliban's public health department in Ghor, said that having a trusted driver and guard is the right of every head and this is a usual matter.

According to the documents obtained, at least eight employees of Ghor's public health department and hospital have been changed or transferred this year. A source describes these changes as unprofessional. According to him, the accountant has been appointed as the attendance officer, and the attendance officer as the accountant.

A source says that two institutes operating in the health sector in Ghor have been stopped from activities on the orders of the Taliban's public health head. According to the source, Abdulwahid Hamas, the head of the Taliban's public health in Ghor, has halted the activities of the Justice and Equality institute, which worked in nursing, midwifery, and pharmacy, and the Abrar institute, which worked in physiotherapy and orthopedics. The source says that these institutes had three-year projects in Ghor based on agreements with the Ministry of Public Health and were training girls, but the Taliban's public health head in Ghor accused them of promoting prostitution. However, in response to Etilaat Roz's message, Hamas said that the Justice and Equality institute has not been active since he arrived, but the Abrar institute is currently active in physiotherapy training. Hamas was previously the spokesman for the Taliban governor in Ghor and was appointed as the head of the Taliban's public health in Ghor early this year.