Residents of Tala Wa Barfak district in Baghlan said they are concerned about an increase in maternal and child mortality in their region due to a lack of access to Pul-e-Khumri, the capital city of the province.

The residents said it takes 10 hours to travel to the city from the district; therefore, a number of pregnant women and their children die on the way to hospital. 

The residents claimed that more than five women and children lose their lives every month on the way to hospitals in the central city of the province. 

“At least five to six pregnant women or their children lose their lives on the way to the hospital due to unconstructed roads,” said Fazl Ahmad, a resident of Tala Wa Barfak.

“The residents’ economy will improve and all patients will visit hospital on time if the road is constructed,” another resident of the district, Sakhi Amin said.

Tala Wa Barfak residents warned that maternal and child mortality will surge if the road is not constructed.

“More patients and pregnant women will die if government does not construct the road,” said Zia Rahman, a resident of the district.

Meanwhile, Tala Wa Barfak district governor Faiz Mohammad Amiri said the road was planned to be constructed a year ago.

However, he blamed the central government for a delay in construction of the road between Tala Wa Barfak and Pul-e-Khumri city. 

“We discussed the issue with the central government at the beginning of the last year and they promised to construct the road, but nothing has been done so far,” he said.