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.
