DHAKA, Jan 30, 2019 (BSS) – A massive development of mother and child healthcare services took place in the country over the years.
Bangladesh has demonstrated its successes in achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG)-5 by ensuring good health of mothers during and after giving birth to children.
Experts concerned said sound health is a basic right of people and a healthy nation cannot be expected without healthy people. Only a healthy nation can take the country forward. To this end, the government has given importance to good health of mothers and children.
After securing the landslide victory in the 2008 elections, the Awami League formed the government and took various measures for maternity health development. The people are now enjoying its benefits.
According to the sources at the Ministry of Health, Bangladesh has been able to stand on the world stage by raising its head high thanks to various time-befitting plans and initiatives taken by the government in the health sector.
The rate of childbirth at the community clinics has increased to 31.7 percent from 18 percent through imparting time-befitting and better training to the health workers side by side with setting up new hospitals.
Maternal death rate has come down to a great extent due to decreasing birth rate, raising marriage age, women education and providing emergency maternity services. Maternal death rate has declined to 150 in every one lakh. The government is working on bringing down the number to zero.
Dr Nazneen Aktar, who is working on mother and child healthcare, told this correspondent that child mortality has decreased to a great extent. But still there are some areas in the country, where the death of mothers happens while giving childbirth. Necessary steps will have to be taken keeping this issue in mind, she opined. Child mortality rate declined:
Today’s children are the future leaders of the country and the government considers its one of the targets is to ensure their good health.
Bangladesh has achieved the MDG-4 by reducing the child death rate. The country is now polio-free as the government has taken countrywide immunisation programme.
Former health minister Mohammad Nasim said Bangladesh was known as the most corrupted country in the world during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government. But now Bangladesh is a developing country and a role model, even before the developed country.
Healthcare services in remote areas: Healthcare services have been reached to the people of remote areas. The rural people go to the community clinics situated at their doorsteps.
The Awami League government after assuming office in 1996 took initiatives for ensuring medicare of the rural people. Since then, 13,000 community clinics were set up across the country till 2018.
A revolution took place from the birth control to mother and child healthcare through this clinics which work with the slogan “Sheikh Hasina’s obodan, community clinics bachai pran”. Line Director of Community-based Health Clinics Professor Dr Abul Hashem Khan said the working area of this clinics is expanding.
“An arrangement for normal childbirth has been made in every clinic. Besides, non-communicable diseases like diabetes will be detected from here,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Health, the rate of population growth is 1.41 percent to 1.37 percent due to the government’s initiatives for population control. Besides, the government is establishing medical colleges in different areas for ensuring healthcare services and creating talented physicians.
From this year, students were enrolled to the newly-established medical colleges in Netrakona, Chandpur and Nilphamari. Alongside, the old medical colleges were expanded and modernized.
Moreover, 267 ambulances including 10 water ambulances were given to district hospitals, upazila health complexes and different health institutions to ensure speedy healthcare services.
New State Minister for Health Dr Murad Hasan said Bangladesh earned massive successes in health sector despite various obstacles. “We’re working to present the country as a model in the world by building a healthy nation,” he said.