By Dr Aynal Haque
RAJSHAHI, June 17, 2021 (BSS) – A reactivated primary healthcare facility has delighted villagers as they got scopes of availing emergency health services for the first time within their catchment area in the district.
“We have revitalized the Sonadanga Union Health and Family Welfare Centre (UH&FWC) in Bagmara Upazila to meet up the long-cherished demands of its surrounding people,” said Azharul Haque, Chairman of Sonadanga Union Parishad (UP), while talking to BSS at the centre on Wednesday.
He said the facility had remained inoperative for around 17 years since its establishment in 2004 due to multifarious problems related to lack of manpower, electricity and water supply, life-saving drugs and other requisite support.
Located at around 25 kilometers off the Bagmara Upazila Health Complex, the facility has now been equipped creating scopes of ensuring primary healthcare services to around 8,684 people, including 4394 females.
On the priority basis, a skilled Family Welfare Visitor (FWV) was appointed on June 1 last with a joint financial contribution of the UP and Public Health Improvement Initiative Rajshahi (PHIIR) project.
UP Chairman Azharul Haque said the labor room was equipped with all requisite devices and apparatus on behalf of the project for conducting normal delivery after the deployment of FWV Dina Akhtar.
He said all sorts of arrangements for ensuring normal delivery services have been ensured so that the public in general, particularly the needy and poor families, are benefited.
Upazila Family Planning Office has provided 35 types of life-saving drugs to the facility after its resumption. Community people mobilized seven ceiling fans for the facility.
Talking to BSS, Dina Akhtar said the center has already started attaining trust of the grassroots expectant mothers in terms of availing labor services besides antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC) and neonatal services.
“We’ve referral services for the mothers suffering from various pregnancy-related complexities like vaginal bleeding, eclampsia, severe headaches and fever and delayed labor,” said Akhtar.
Momi Khatun, 20, a resident of a nearby village, expressed her satisfaction after availing antenatal care services at the facility for the first time.
“We have no financial capability to go to either Upazila Health Complex or district level hospital for her pregnancy related checkups,” Khatun said, adding that she’s intended to avail the services of follow-up checkups, delivery and neonatal at the facility.
Jamena Bibi, 23, another service-recipient, is also delighted with the FWV’s counseling.
DASCOH Foundation has been implementing the PHIIR project with financial support of Swiss Red Cross (SRC) at five upazila health complexes, 42 Union Health and Family Welfare Centres and 110 Community Clinics under Bagmara, Charghat and Tanore upazilas in Rajshahi and Porsha and Sapahar in Naogaon.
Giving an overview of their activities Tozammel Haque told BSS that the PHIIR project is intended to improve the health status with special focus on maternal, neonatal and child health at primary health care level.
Divisional Director of the Department of Family Planning Shafiqul Islam said the government and non-government collaborative efforts are being adjudged as substantial and sustainable promotion of institutional delivery besides reducing maternal and neonatal deaths.
With this breakthrough, the rate of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity has started reducing in the rural areas besides achieving the number three of sustainable development goals, Islam added.