Daily Times

Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), an international medical humanitarian association also known as Doctors without Borders, announced to close its maternity hospital in Peshawar after 11 years of medical services.

MSF opened its women’s hospital in 2011, when their was dire need for free of charge comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care for patients from socio-economically disadvantaged situations, including refugees and internally displaced people, said a press release issued by the organization here on Wednesday.

“Since the health context is evolving in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, MSF will be reorienting its medical care activities in collaboration with local health authorities in the coming months,” it said.

“The hospital provided 24/7 emergency care for women suffering from complicated pregnancies and difficult deliveries over the past eleven years tenure,” the press release added.

MSF has ensured the safe delivery of more than 54,428 babies, among whom 6,281 neonates were cared for at the newborn unit of the hospital.

61,039 women were admitted to the inpatient department for pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care and 6,407 of them required surgical interventions.

Our outreach teams also provided health education on mother and child health and the prevention of various diseases to rural communities in the jurisdiction of Peshawar district.

MSF’s Project Coordinator Support in Peshawar, Waqar Ahmed, said, “In 2011, we started the hospital after evaluating the needs and have achieved big milestones of providing maternal care to 61,039 patients.” MSF Pakistan continued its maternal care amid different natural disasters, conflicts, outbreaks and epidemics in the country.

“We are thankful to the health authorities, MSF staff and community for their efforts and contribution to the well-functioning of the hospital throughout the years.”

The Peshawar women’s hospital was equipped with a delivery room and an operational theater for complicated cases and other obstetric surgeries.

MSF Country Representative in Pakistan, Amande Bazerolle said, “MSF will carry on other medical activities and work on a strategy in collaboration with the Department of Health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on maternal, newborn and childcare in the region.” “MSF remains committed to serving the communities in the region,” she assured.

“MSF Pakistan will continue to provide specialized treatment for patients affected by the cutaneous leishmaniasis skin disease in two dedicated centers, as well in two satellite clinics in the province.”

It is to pertinent to mention here, as part of its response to the flood emergency this year, MSF Pakistan has provided medical consultations to more than 8,000 patients, distributed relief packages to more than 5,693 flood-affected families, provided 78,000 liters of clean drinking water and has so far rehabilitated over 500 household wells in the Charsadda and Nowshera districts.