By Barun Kumar Das
DHAKA, June 26, 2019 (BSS)-The government has taken steps to ensure normal
birth delivery services in all community clinics across the country.
“Normal birth delivery services are now available at some community
clinics . . . we have taken initiatives to ensure such services in all
community clinics to attract people towards normal delivery of babies,” said
an official of the Community Clinics Project.
He said steps have already been taken to build 1000 more clinics with
separate room equipped with all normal birth delivery facilities.
At present, 3,054 community clinics are now providing normal birth
delivery services.
A silent revolution has taken place in the country’s primary health care
sector as the community clinics are providing health care services to the
common people, specially mothers and children, at free of cost.
After assuming the office in 1996, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated
the first community clinic at Patgati of Tungipara in Gopalganj district on
April 26 in 2000. Now, there are more than 13,780 community clinics in the
rural areas across the country to facilitate the countrymen with healthcare
services.
Rural people get 27 types of medicines and contraceptive items free of cost
from these clinics. The government has given solar power to the community
clinics which are out of the electricity supply network.
Around 66,000 normal deliveries were done in those clinics since 2014. Of
them, 6,094 deliveries were done in 2014, 10860 in 2015, 12,538 in 2016,
14,934 in 2017 and 21,574 in 2018, said an official of the community clinic
project.
Talking to BSS, Project Director of the Community Clinics Dr Abul Hashem
Khan said there are 13,780 community clinics in the country and 1029 more
clinics will be constructed by 2022.
“Construction of nearly 400 clinics will be completed this year,” he
added.
Currently, he said around seven lakh people are taking primary treatment
from the community clinics every day. Around 3,500 clinics are operating
normal birth delivery services with the help of non-government organizations
(NGOs), he added.
Hashem said equipments for providing delivery services will be handed over
to 1000 community clinics soon. Patients have taken health care services 90
crore times from the community clinics since 2009 and of them, women and
children have received health services around 72 crore times.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) regularly monitors the
community clinics so that the rural people can get the basic medical services
properly.
“The number of patients is increasing immensely as they get the medicines
free of cost . . . around 100 people are taking health services from a clinic
every day,” said Swapna, Community Health Service Provider of Kalikapur
Community Clinic in Boraigram upazila of Natore district.
She said currently around 15 to 20 pregnant mothers are taking services
from her clinic.