DHAKA, Dec 03, 2020 BSS)- Many especially low income people often go through traumatic experience concerning treatment as the today’s healthcare is being tempered by the commercialized ethos of private healthcare.
Lack of healthcare access to underserved areas is a common sight in the country, but rendering of services by the community health clinics to the low income people brings up an inspiring example in the health landscape.
When public health system continues to face formidable challenges and private healthcare is unaffordable by low-income rural folks, community health clinics have brought health higher on political agenda.
There is widespread acknowledgement that these clinics have improved access to health services to the poorest of the poor.
A silent revolution has taken place in the country’s primary healthcare system as the Community Health Clinics provide services to the common people including mother and children.
The clinics are gradually turning into a blessing for the country’s rural people as the service standard of the clinics is improving day by day to reach the healthcare at doorsteps of the people offering a range of medicines at free of cost.
Besides, the government has taken steps to ensure normal birth delivery services at all community clinics across the country while the service has already been available at some clinics.
To augment the space of healthcare for the rural people, the government has a plan to build 1000 more community health clinics across the country keeping the provision of normal birth delivery room.
Besides, the government is distributing solar power to those community clinics that are out of the electricity supply network.
Officials familiar with the project said a total of 13,780 community clinics are offering healthcare services while the target of constructing community clinics is 14,890. There are 3,054 community clinics in the country where the normal delivery services are being offered.
The sources said around 66,000 normal deliveries have been done in those clinics since 2014. Of them, 6,094 deliveries have done in 2014, 10860 in 2015, 12,538 in 2016, 14,934 in 2017 and 21,574 in 2018.
The Project Director of the Community Clinics told BSS that there are 13,780 community clinics in the country and more 1029 clinics will be constructed by 2022.
Currently, the project director said around seven lakh people are taking primary health care services from the clinics every day. Around 3,500 clinics are operating normal delivery services with the association of local people and non-government organizations (NGOs), he added.
Different equipment for delivery services will be distributed to 1000 community clinics soon while the delivery services will be introduced at all community clinics in phases, he added.
Sources said about 90 crore patients have taken health services from the community clinics since the start of this basic healthcare programme in 2009. Of them, around 72 crore women and children have taken health services.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the clinics by inaugurating the Dimadanga Community Clinic at Patgati union of Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj district on April 26 in 2000.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) regularly monitors the operations of the community clinics so that the rural people can get the basic medical services properly at the village-level.
Community clinics now appear as an example in the developing countries of the world, said Saidur Rahman Shohagh, a physician.
The number of patients has increased a lot as they get the medicines free of cost, he said, adding that on an average 40 percent patients are being provided medical services by the clinics.
Community Health Provider of Kalikapur Community Clinic in Boraigram upazila of Natore district Swapna said the country’s rural people are getting health services at their doorsteps for the Awami League government’s pro-people steps.
The number of patients is increasing day by day in the clinics, she said, adding around 100 people are taking health services from her clinic every day.
She said now around 15 to 20 pregnant mothers are taking services from the clinic.
Sources said a family welfare assistant and a health assistant are giving services for three days in a week in a community clinic along with CHCP.