KHOROG, October 13, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Medical facilities in Gorno Badakhshan are experiencing shortage of physicians.

The GBAO health directorate chairperson, Ms. Paykarmo Aliyorova, told reporters in Khorog yesterday that the region now has 280 physician vacancies.

According to her, the most serious situation is in Murgab district, where medical facilities have less than 50 percent of physician vacancies filled.  In Vanj and Darvoz districts, medical facilities have 56 percent of vacancies filled.

“Because of shortage of specialists, medical diagnostic equipment installed in rural medical facilities remains unused,” said Ms. Aliyorova.  “We hope the physician shortage problem will be solved in the near future.”  She said they are sending medical personnel to take training courses on operating modern medical equipment.

“More than 280 students from Gorno Badakhshan are currently studying at Tajik State Medical University in Dushanbe,” said Aliyorova, “101 of them have entered the university under presidential quota and on graduation from the university they will work with medical facilities in the region.”