Community clinics have turned into blessing for rural people of the country as it provides medicines free of cost to reach government sponsored health care services at the doorsteps of the people. “Some 32 types of medicines are being provided at free of cost to the people across the country under auspices of the community clinics which are the brainchild of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammed Nasim recently told media. Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) regularly monitors the community clinics so that the rural people can get the medical services properly as the people are getting the basic healthcare services at the village level, he said.
Community clinics now appeared as an example in the developing country’s of the world, he added.
Officials familiar with the project said a total of 13,861 community clinics are offering healthcare services, including giving suggestions on health, family planning and nutrition along with distributing 32 kinds of medicines free of cost across the country. The government has also a plan of setting up 1029 more community clinics across the country. About 62.57 crore patients have taken health services from the community clinics since its journey in 2000. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the clinics by inaugurating the Dimadanga Community Clinic at Patgati union of the Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj district on April 26 in 2000. Healthcare Provider of Baraigram upazila sadar community clinic in Natore Uzzal Kumar told the poor people of the country are getting healthcare services properly through the community clinics. The number of patients has increased immensely as they get the medicines free of cost, he said, adding that on an average 80 persons are being provided medical services by his clinic.
Keya Sarker, a beneficiary of the Baraigram upazila sadar community clinic, said all kinds of medical treatments are being provided by the clinic and “we do not need to buy medicines as the clinic gives drugs free of cost”. She added: “Now we do not have to go to town for treatment and medicines which are cost-effective and time savings for us due to availability of healthcare services in the community clinic”.
