Community clinics in Meherpur are now patient friendly.
Poor patients in rural areas are now getting better services from the clinics.
Abandoned community clinics in Meherpur have now become patient friendly. Poor patients in rural areas are now getting better services from the clinics. Community Health Care Providers (CHCP) provide patients
with medical care and necessary medications as well as advice on how to stay well. As a result, patients are regaining trust in community clinics. It is said that health is the root of all happiness. There are 71 community clinics.Meherpur district to maintain the health of the common people of the district and ensure good treatment for them. Among them, 26 community clinics of 7 unions of Meherpur Sadar Upazilla have now gained trust as one of the reliable places for treatment of rural poor and helpless people. Construction of 2 more clinics in Uttar Shalika and Dakhin Shalika is in progress.
The community clinics of Meherpur, like the rest of the country, are playing an effective role in bringing the health services of the current government to the doorsteps of people. Getting the services patients wanted from the once almost abandoned clinics was like a daydream. Currently, all community clinics in the district are being upgraded with the support of the Minister of Public Administration.
Clinics are providing clean environment, clean water, sanitation system and providing medical services and necessary medicines to the patients. Patients are being treated for several common ailments including fever, cold-cough, headache, dysentery and diarrhea. Child and maternal services are also being provided. Those clinics in poor conditions have now become places of trust to the locals for treatment. Moin Udidan, Community Health Care Providers (CHCP) of Kaligangni Community Clinic said we treat many common ailments including fever, cold, cough, headache, dysentery, diarrhea in all these clinics. Child
and maternal services are being provided. Currently, 27 types of medicines are being given free of cost from the community clinic. Family planning, immunization of mothers and children are also being advised here. Patients say that we now come to the community clinic when we have physical problems and from here, we
get general health care including basic medicine. Earlier, in case of illness, it would take a whole day to go to the main hospital in the district town, and the travel expenses were also high. Now both time and money are being saved. But the treatment will be better if the clinics have MBBS or Assistant Medical Officer doctors with CHCP. and the patient pressure on the hospital will also be reduced
Md. Shahzaman Chowdhury, chairman of Buripota Union, said that a committee has been formed under the leadership of a ward member of the concerned union for the proper management of the clinics. They are looking after those clinics.
Meherpur Sadar Upazilla Health and Family Planning Officer, Dr. Alok Kumar Das said, All community clinics in the district are being upgraded in phases with the support of the Minister of Public Administration. Clinics have become patient friendly and people are getting better services from there. Medicines are being
given to the patients free of cost and it is also ensured that the patients get the right medicines. A fund has also been constituted for the maintenance of these clinics. Now 5 clinics are providing normal delivery free
of cost here. Now in all the clinics of Sadar Upazila clean environment has been ensured, clean water, sanitation system is being ensured and various suggestions are being given to the health of the patients. He also said that in a few days insulin for diabetes will be given free of cost in the clinics. Apart from this, non-
communicable disease (NCD) centers are provided by specialist doctors for the treatment of heart disease, stroke, hypertension and diabetes from these clinics. Hypertension and diabetes patients are referred by the CHCP members to NCD center at the headquarters after initial examination and their medical care is ensured by expert doctors there. Every month, 350 such patients are receiving regular medical care through registration at NCD center; each patient is being given medicines worth Tk 500 for free. Moreover, about 15000 general patients are receiving medical services in these community clinics every month.
Public Administration Minister Professor Farhad Hossain said, we are connecting the community clinics with the Ministry of Information System Online. It will increase both accountability and transparency of service. If the service quality of these clinics increases, the pressure of general patients on the hospitals will
decrease. In these clinics, the current government is providing 27 types of medicines free of cost to the common patients. Through these activities common people will be able to receive their health care easily.