RANGPUR, Dec 29, 2018 (BSS) – Around 22-lakh people are receiving health
services with cost-free medicines for common ailments at 309 community
clinics annually those have earned solid confidence of the rural people in
the district.
Side by side with providing treatments and medicines, the Community Skilled
Birth Attendants (CSBAs) conducted safe delivery of over 600 pregnant mothers
at 48 community clinics of the district till last year.
Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam said a trained Community
Health Care Provider (CHCP), one Health Assistant and one Family Welfare
Assistant, all are trained CSBAs, are working at every community clinic.
The clinics are also providing services on maternal and neonatal
healthcare, childhood illness, reproductive health, family planning, health
and nutritional education, micro-nutrient supplements and establishing
referral linkage with higher facilities.
“The CHCPs are referring the autistic children and children with special
needs to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for specialised treatment to
flourish their latent talents,” Dr Islam added.
The community clinics provided treatments and medicines to around 22-lakh
people including under-five babies, children, adolescents, men and women in
2018 in the district and the number would be much higher this year.
“In 2017, over 1.61-lakh children, 6.77-lakh male and 13.62-lakh female
people received health services with cost free medicines at 309 community
clinics in the district,” Dr Islam said.
Talking to BSS, CHCP Shahjada Sarder at Uttarpara Community Clinic in
Badarganj upazila said some 18,000 people, including under-five babies,
adolescents and pregnant women, received health services and medicines there
last year alone.
Talking to BSS at Gokulpur Community Clinic in Sadar upazila on Thursday,
CHCP Nazma Khatun some 12,000 patients received health services and cost free
medicines there on an average every year since 2015.
“Some 40 patients come to the clinic everyday for treatment. I have already
conducted safe deliveries of eleven pregnant mothers and 42 pregnant women
are undergoing regular checkups now,” she said.
“We review previous health conditions of a pregnant woman to give her the
right services,” Nazma said while narrating as how the maternal and neonatal
healthcare services are being provided to rural pregnant women.
Each of the pregnant women gets 30 iron tablets, 30 vitamin B-complex
tablets and 30 pieces of calcium lactate tablets for one month from the
community clinic soon after confirmation of her pregnancy.
A pregnant woman comes at least four times to the community clinic for
regular checkups, or even more times if needed, during her 40-week pregnancy
period.
“If any complicacy is noticed during checkups, the CHCPs refer those women
to Upazila Health Complex or nearby government hospitals,” Nazma added.
Kusum, 27, of village Chawrapara and Babita, 25, of Hindu Para village
told BSS that they recently delivered their sons respectively at Gokulpur
Community Clinic safely after undergoing four times regular checkups.
Housewife Fatema, 30, student Nazma, 15, of village Aloyakuri and youth
Mohsin, 20, of village Dhanipara and Aklima, 35, of village Chawrapara said
they received treatments for common ailments and medicines there.
CHCP Nadira Banu at Uttar Mominpur Community Clinic said she conducted 16
safe deliveries side by side with providing treatments to over 6,650 people
there in last one year.
Divisional Director (Health) Dr Amal Krishna Saha said the community
clinics have won confidence of the rural people taking necessary health
services to their doorsteps and making them satisfied with free health
services and medicines.