DHAKA, Dec 05, 2019 (BSS)-As the country grapples with health care woes, the government came up with a scheme that promised to bring great relief to rural people and came as the perfect solution to the problem of not having health care services in rural areas.
The scheme-the setting up of nearly 4000 community clinics-is aimed at transforming rural health landscape in the country. The dream of establishing community clinics in rural areas is considered as an uplifting solution rather than much-hyped and half-hearted efforts. Becoming at a loss as to what to do has now became a matter of by-gone days for those rural citizens who had been afflicted and stressed by numerous ailments in the past.
The policy of establishing community health clinics envisages a health structure to bring health care services within the reach of the vast rural people, making it possible to say good-by to the notion that it is a near impossibility for most of the rural folk to have access to health care facilities. A formidable network of health care institutions has been created in rural areas, though inadequate, making easier for remote villagers to become dependable on community clinics and feel comfortable.
Though community clinics faced some problems in the beginning, but the total scenario has now changed. Now the villagers rush to these clinics to get treatment.
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 facilitating the countrymen with healthcare services like reproductive health, pre-and post-delivery healthcare services, family planning, immunization, nutrition, health education and medical advices. Thirty types of different medicines are being given at free of cost.
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, especially mothers and children, at free of cost.
The government has given solar power to the community clinics which were out of the electricity supply network.
Besides, steps have already been taken to build 1000 more clinics with separate rooms equipped with all normal birth delivery facilities. At present, 3,054 community clinics are providing normal birth delivery services.
Around 66,000 normal deliveries were done in those clinics since 2014. Of them, 6,094 deliveries were done in 2014, 10,860 in 2015, 12,538 in 2016, 14,934 in 2017 and 21,574 in 2018, said an official of the community clinic project.
Gokulpur Community Clinic (GCC) in Rangpur is one of the clinics that has been providing treatmentfor common ailments with cost-free medicines for last five years.
Community Health Care Provider (CHCP) NazmaKhatun said along with the treatment, safe deliveries of pregnant mothers were successfully being conducted at GCC during the past five years.
Talking to BSS, Project Director of the Community Clinics DrAbul Hashem Khan said there are 13,780 community clinics in the country and 1029 more clinics will be constructed by 2022.
Jobeda Khatun, a patient now is used to community clinics’ services, said, “We are getting all types of treatment from the clinics . . . even all types of medicines are available at free of cost.”
Many people of the village preferred the community clinics instead of other private hospitals to get their health services, she added.
The community clinics are also providing vaccinesfor tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, hepatices-b and pneumonia. These clinics also advise the children and juveniles about their health.
According to the office of the project, around 2.36 crore people were given health services through the clinics in the country in 2010, while it was 3.72 crore in 2011, 7.22 crore in 2012, 9.85 crore in 2013, above 10 crore in 2014 and around 12 crore in 2016.
A survey, conducted by National Institute of Population Research and Training, shows that 80 percent people are finding cozier environment as they are fed with treatment and medicines at free of cost at their doorsteps.
Another survey, conducted by the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, shows that 98 percent people are happy as they are getting their health services from the clinics.
Increased availability and utilization of health care services have resulted in a general improvement of the health status of the country’s population as is reflected in the increased life expectancy and marked decline in birth and mortality rates.
However, these achievements are marked disparities between urban and rural people.