BSS :
Sonadanga Union Health and Family Welfare Center (UH&FWC) in Bagmara Upazila of Rajshahi district has attained trust of surrounding expectant mothers because they are being benefited from it enormously.
The facility has become a blessing for the rural pregnant mothers, particularly the marginalized and disadvantaged ones, in terms of getting emergency healthcare services, including antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC) and neonatal care.
Sonadanga UH&FWC, around 25 kilometers off the Bagmara Upazila Health Complex which is the nearest higher referral center for getting comparatively better services, is assigned to providing primary healthcare services to around 8,684 people, including 4394 female.
Jamila Akter, 20, wife of Abdul Jalil of a nearby village, gave birth to their first baby at the centre through normal delivery on July 6 last.
“We are happy after getting the emergency services at the newly reactivated centre,” said Akter, adding that they had no financial capability to afford the costs of upazila or district level better facilities.
Shirina Begum, 19, wife Jewel Rana, was blessed with first baby through normal delivery at the centre on July 17 last. She expressed her satisfaction after availing ANC, PNC and neonatal services at the facility.
“We have revitalized the Sonadanga UH&FWC to meet 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 Monday.
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.
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 provided 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 ANC, 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.
Upazila Family Planning Officer Abu Masud said they are very much delighted over the news of successful normal delivery at the union level health facility.
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.
The project is intended to improving the health status with special focus on maternal, neonatal and child health at primary health care level.
Akramul Haque, Chief Executive Officer of DASCOH Foundation, said utmost emphasis has been given on counseling of pregnant women over phone in remote areas, especially those whose expected date of delivery nears.
“We have recorded 3,772 deliveries, including 3,751 normal ones, comprising 3,048 in upazila health complexes and 703 in UH&FWC and USC in the project area during the period of October 2019 to June 2021,” said PHIIR Project Manager Tozammel Haque.
