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Change Your Life! |
Country's first community clinic inaugurated |
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News
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August 4, 2000
Kapasia (Gazipur) (UNB) - Marking a success in its efforts to reach healthcare services to the doorsteps of rural people, the government has opened the country's first community clinic at Deona village at Kapasia upazila. Some 6000 clinics will be set up this year as part of the government plan to set up 13,500 new community clinics in the country by the year 2003. One clinic will be set up for every 6,000 people within their walking distance. World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with Health Ministry has taken up a pilot project to set up such 14 community clinics and the clinic set up at Deona on July 30 is one of the clinics of this pilot project. The 13 other clinics will be set up at Baborkhana of Uzirpur upazila of Barisal district, Budhimantapur, Bahadurpur, Goalbari, Rajnagar and Faridpur in Moulvibazar district, Nagarpur and Birbashinda in Tangail, Shuguna in Tarash upazila and Natuapara of Kazipur upazila in Sirajganj district, Patgoti of Tungipara, Debogram of Kotalipara upazila, and Latifpur in Gopalganj district. On July 31, a day after the opening of the clinic, local medical officer of WHO Dr George J Kombo-Kono, DD of Primary Healthcare Dr Mohammad Baki, Gazipur civil surgeon Dr Taher Ahmed Khan, WHO divisional primary healthcare officer Dr Col (retd) Mohammad Mozammel Hossain, upazila health and family welfare officer Dr Abdul Awal and WHO Gazipur district coordinator SM Atiar Rahman visited the Deona clinic. The two-room Deona clinic with a veranda was set up on an 8-decimal highland donated by Dr Motiur Rahman, a pediatrician. Behind the clinic, there is a well-protected pond with a pucca ghat and huge trees on its banks. Its lush green trees have given the clinic a picturesque look. Beside the clinic, 5kms of the upazila health complex, there is a small mosque too. The clinic has arrangements to provide primary health services to the patients suffering from fever and respiratory problems apart from immunization and family planing facilities. Farida Yasmin, a family welfare assistant (FWA), and Noor Mohammad, a health assistant (HA), are now in charge of the clinic. Union health assistants, sanitary inspectors, family planning inspectors and assistant health inspectors also assist them and supervise their activities. Meanwhile, a seven-member community committee, comprising ward commissioners, has been formed to help run the clinic. Talking to this correspondent, Farida said villagers are happy now as a clinic has been set up in their neighbourhood for the first time, providing them various health services from one point. A day after its opening, she said, 27 people, mainly women and children, came to the clinic with complaints of fever, abdominal pain, weakness, respiratory and cough problems. In response to a query, she showed a bulk stock of medicines in the clinic and said, "serious patients are referred to the upazila health complex." Asia Khatun, a female ward commissioner who is also a member of the community committee, said villagers no longer need to go to the upazila health complex for minor health complaints. Replying to a question, she said they faced no obstacle from any quarters as women come to the clinic for family planning and other health services. "Even women from conservative families come here wearing burkha (veil)." WHO medical officer Dr George J Komba-Kono said the decision to set up community clinics in Bangladesh is an important step towards bridging the gap between health and family welfare divisions. While addressing the community members of the clinic and local health employees on its premises during his visit on July 31, Dr Kona said, "you have to take the responsibility of providing health services from this building to the poor people who hardly can afford medical treatment." He said the government wants to reach the health services to the doorsteps of the people and it is your duty to ensure it. |