BSS, Bhola :
With the expansion of community clinics, 21,12,433 people under seven upazilas received better healthcare services from 213 community clinics in the district during last year, according to official sources.
Of the total, 5,35758 are men, 14,45726 women and 1,30,949 children. Besides, 1,500 pregnant mothers have got all facilities at the clinics while giving birth to their children.
The clinic authorities also referred about 20,000 patients to other hospitals for better treatments.
The patients of the clinics are increasing day by day due to huge publicity and awareness building among common people.
“The clinics have brought healthcare services at their doorsteps as people are getting health education, referral advice, pregnancy checkups, de-worming and vaccination at the clinics,” said Zila Civil Surgeon Dr Rathindranath Majumder.
There were no affordable health services available for the low- income people before launching of the community clinics, however, now people are getting physicians advice, health services and necessary medicines from the clinics without hassle and at affordable prices. The government is giving patients 31 types of medicines at free of cost, he said.
Community clinics have earned public confidence through conducting safe deliveries in rural areas in the district side by side with providing free health services and medicines to the common people.
To keep the clinics neat and clean, community day is observed on first Sunday’s of every month.
The concerned authority has a plan to establish free medical camp in every clinic from January.
The teams will encourage the remote area people for getting health services at the clinics and provide treatment in the areas, the civil surgeon added.
Joinal Karim, 68, expressed his satisfaction with the care that he received at the clinic. “I have been suffering from respiratory problem for few days and after getting treatment from the clinic now I am well,” he said.
Hajera Bibi, wife of a rickshaw-van puller, is very much happy after getting treatment and medicine free of cost from the clinic.
Monalisa Roy, 27, a community health service provider of Chaygharia community clinic, said on an average 30 people, especially women and children, come to the clinic every day to get necessary health services.
