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PESHAWAR: The medical business in Peshawar city of Pakistan has suffered significantly following the Torkham incident last month which led to the decreased movement of Afghans to the country who were mainly traveling for medical care.
According to reports, half of patients at the private hospitals in Peshawar were the Afghans.
Neurosurgeon Dr Tariq Khan, who is head of the private sector North-West General Hospital, Peshawar, told The News International “Since the Torkham incident, we were getting less than 10 percent of the usual number of Afghan patients during Ramazan. This was much less even for the month of Ramazan when there is a general drop of patients by 50 percent.”
Another doctor in Rahman Medical Institute (RMI) has said the number of patients had gone drown drastically during the last couple of months, especially since the violent clashes at Torkham.
The reduced number of Afghan patients visiting the city for treatment also affected the other trades, including the sale of medicines and occupancy at guesthouses and the revenues of transport services.
Another docotor meanwhile has expressed concerns regarding the goodwill of Pakistan among the Afghans. “More importantly, it is affecting the goodwill among the Afghans for Pakistan,” the doctor requesting anonymity said.
Clashes between the Afghan border guards and Pakistani forces erupted after the Pakistani side started work on the construction of a gate along the Durand Line.
Afghanistan condemned the move by Pakistan and called it a unilateral act insisting that any installation along the zero line of the Durand must be mutually agreed before starting work on it. -KP
THE PASHTUN TIMES
