National Desk :
Health experts and development activists attributed concerted efforts of all government and non-government organizations to ensure maternal and neonatal healthcare services to the grassroots people, particularly the marginalized and disadvantaged ones.
The present government under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly to ensure the services, they said.
So, the field level officials and staff will have to supplement the government endeavor through performing duties with utmost sincerity and honesty collectively, they added.
The observations came at a community level view-sharing meeting at Badhair Union Health and Family Welfare Center (UH&FWC) under Tanore Upazila in Rajshahi on Monday.
The facility, around 18 kilometers away from the Tanore Upazila Health Complex, is assigned to provide primary healthcare services to around 18,668 people, including 9430 female.
Public Health Improvement Initiative Rajshahi (PHIIR) project hosted the meeting in association with the Facility Management Committee, discussing and devising ways and means to enhance collaboration to attain cherished goals in this field.
The Badhair UH&FWC has been revitalized in collaboration with the local Union Parishad (UP) and the PHIIR project.
Deputy Director of the Department of Family Planning Dr Nasim Akhter, Maternal and Child Health Expert Dr Masuma Monjura Hossen and Clinical Contraceptive Expert Dr Abdul Mannan addressed the meeting as focal persons.
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.
Assistant Director of the Department of Family Planning Abdur Razzak, UP Chairman Ataur Rahman, Capacity Building Manager of DASCOH Foundation Israt Jahan, Phiir Project Manager Tozammel Haque and its Community Mobilization Officer Ebrahim khalil and Documentation and Advocacy Officer Shohel Rana were present at the meeting.
Phiir Project Manager Tozammel Haque told the meeting that utmost emphasis has been given on enriching the labor rooms of the primary level facility with essential equipment for increasing institutional delivery in the rural areas.
Currently, the Badhair UH&FWC facility has been delivering antenatal care, postnatal care and neonatal care to the grassroots expectant mothers since its revitalization a couple of months back.
In her remarks, Dr Nasim Akhter said substantial and sustainable promotion of institutional delivery can be the best ways of reducing maternal and neonatal deaths.
