The Hamoun Lake, which until yesterday was the lifeline of Sistan, has now transformed into a barren expanse devoid of water, where only dust clouds swirl. For the people of Zabol, spring and summer lack the beauty seen in other parts of the country, while winter offers respite more in terms of relief than the traditional associations with snow and rain.
However, the most pressing issue faced by the residents of this region amidst deteriorating ecological and environmental conditions is the scarcity of medical professionals. Despite the region’s population, including those not accounted for in official statistics, the number of doctors remains critically low.
Moreover, medical facilities are limited, leaving Zabol devoid of adequate healthcare infrastructure, particularly considering the adverse climate and prevalence of incurable diseases.
In certain areas of Zabol, farmers resort to irrigating wheat and barley fields with sewage water, leading to contamination that renders some sheep’s meat inedible due to their consumption of highly polluted fodder. This contamination permeates the food chain, resulting in various diseases among the populace.
Zabol has held the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city in the country since 2016, a title it maintained until 2022, and was even deemed the most polluted city globally by the World Health Organization in 2017.
Despite these alarming pollution levels, closures of schools and offices are not consistently enforced. Authorities justify this by suggesting that closures would need to be a daily occurrence, implying a need for people to adapt to prevailing conditions.
This adaptation, however, is likely to exacerbate respiratory and dermatological issues, with only one lung specialist and a lone otolaryngologist available in the region, leading to significant challenges in accessing medical care.
Dermatological services have been absent in Zabol for several years, with the recent arrival of a dermatologist addressing a critical need, albeit with overwhelming demand. Similarly, the absence of a hematologist in Sistan, despite a high incidence of cancer cases, underscores the deficiencies in specialized medical care.
While shortages persist in Baluchestan, the concentration of specialist doctors in Zahedan leaves other cities, including Zabol, underserved. Despite the presence of multiple ophthalmologists in Zahedan, Zabol struggles with a limited number of active specialists, often necessitating travel for medical services.
The influx of patients from across Sistan to Zabol exacerbates long wait times and strains medical resources. This scarcity compels residents to seek treatment outside the region, including for procedures such as CT scans and angiography, which are unavailable locally.
The lack of essential facilities, including a chemotherapy center, in Zabol’s sole hospital compounds the challenges faced by patients, while the hospital’s conditions occasionally fall short of respecting the dignity of the region’s residents.
Moreover, the absence of dental services in Zabol, despite graduates being trained there, contributes to the exodus of skilled professionals to Zahedan, further exacerbating the region’s healthcare crisis.
Additionally, the municipal wastewater treatment plant poses additional challenges, as incomplete treatment processes result in pollution spreading through the city via windborne evaporation ponds.
