BAGRAM, Afghanistan - A new medical clinic will provide health care to the Sharana District of Paktika Province.
Afghan officials welcomed the Khayr Khot Medical Clinic during a grand opening ceremony Oct. 14.
The clinic complex consists of a building with five rooms, a bathroom, a guard post and perimeter wall. Although the building was originally constructed by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan in 1999, it needed significant repairs, said Coalition officials.
The refurbishment cost $120,000 and was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Materials for the project were purchased from Sharana District merchants, and the project employed local labor.
In addition, the local provincial reconstruction team donated medical equipment, including an electrocardiogram, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and a surgery kit. The equipment will make the clinic one of the most advanced in the region, said Coalition officials.
Located in a populated area of Paktika province, the clinic is expected to get strong use. Afghan officials said the clinic will allow the government the chance to provide medical care for its citizens, many of whom have never had the opportunity to see medical providers before.
District Governor Mohammad Hashim Qanah was joined by a host of local government leaders, local elders and mullahs at the ceremony. School children also attended the event.
In addition to the district governor, others in attendance included: Dr. Kabir, the former Paktika Health Director; Col. Malik, the Paktika Deputy Police Chief; and Dr. Ahmad Shad, the director of the "Just for Afghan Capacity and Knowledge" organization.
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