Healthcare to people: PM lauds community clinics

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government has been able to bring healthcare services at the door steps of the common people due to the community clinics.

“The community clinics set up across the country have been able to reach health care services to the door steps of the common people even in the rural areas,” she said.

The prime minister said this at the weekly Cabinet meeting held at her office (PMO).

The United Nations on Tuesday unanimously adopted the first-ever resolution on community-based health care. The resolution, titled “Community-based primary health care: a participatory and inclusive approach to universal health coverage,” acknowledged the important role community clinics play in promoting primary healthcare, women’s empowerment, community engagement and mobilisation towards achieving universal access to health.

Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh can share its experience of the community clinics with other UN member states to ensure primary healthcare services in those countries.

She thanked people of Bangladesh for giving her Awami League party the chance to serve people since 2009 allowing to attain such achievement.

“If they had not voted us again and again, and given me the opportunity to serve, I would not have come here,” she said.

Hasina said that coming to power in 1996 after long 21 years following the 15th August killings in 1975, the Awami League government took up programmes to reach health services to the doorsteps of the people.

She particularly mentioned the steps of her government taken during 1996-2001 tenure for construction of 11000 community clinics.

“The activities of providing services were introduced from four thousand such clinics during the time,” she said.

The PM said that survey had revealed that up to 70 percent successes were achieved in those community clinics. Now the people in villages particularly females including pregnant women are getting quality health services from there.

Elaborating role of the community clinics in achieving targets of ensuring primary health care, she said, these played crucial role in reducing child and maternal mortality rate, and women are also getting health services during their maternity period.

The prime minister said the people are now getting 30 types of medicines from there free of cost, while these facilities have ensured medical care for the marginal and poor people.

“Besides, job opportunities have also been created in rural areas centring the community clinics,” she added.

Hasina regretted that coming to power in 2001, the BNP-Jamat government closed the community clinics fearing that the beneficiaries might cast their votes for Awami League.

“I felt very sad that only Awami League people would not take treatment at the clinics we established. The common people get service there. There are also supporters of other parties in those areas. Then why did it stop?” She questioned.

“The government has also formed a trust so that none can stop the activities of the community clinics even after the change of the government,” she said.

While talking about the UNGA resolution on “The Sheikh Hasina Initiative”, the prime minister said, some 70 member countries of the UN were co-sponsors of the resolution and it was unanimously adopted.

The prime minister conveyed thanks and gratitude to the co-sponsors and member states of the UN which played significant role in adopting Bangladesh’s community Clinics model “The Sheikh Hasina Initiative” at the UNGA on Tuesday.