By Dr Aynal Haque

  RAJSHAHI, Feb 14, 2022 (BSS) - Union Sub Centre (USC) at Kamargaon here has
started creating high hope among the local people by providing primary
healthcare for the last couple of months.

  Initiative has been taken to reactivate the USC at Tanore Upazila in the
district so that it can meet the demands of primary healthcare, including
maternal and neonatal, with boosting the number of institutional delivery
through increasing referral linkage.

  "We have adopted necessary measures of reactivating the USC as early as
possible to provide the primary healthcare services," said Fazle Rabbi Mia,
Chairman of Kamargaon Union Parishad.

  He said they are trying to improve the quality-health services of the USC
as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is very much positive to reach primary
healthcare services to the doorstep of the grassroots people.

  "We are working together for activating and strengthening the Facility
Management Committee (FMC) for infusing dynamism into the service delivery
activities, including antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC) and
neonatal, as soon as possible in the centre," Rabbi added.

  Mousumi Khatun, who is working at the centre as midwife for the last couple
of months, said they recorded services of 14 ANC, one PNC, seven family
planning, 3,616 child health and 18,528 general health till January 31 last
since October 2019.

  Jesmin Begum, 28, a pregnant mother of the same village, became satisfied
after receiving ANC checkups at the facility this month.

  She said the midwife examined her and provided iron and calcium tablets.
She is very much pleased with her consultation.

  Midwife Khatun told BSS that the 'Public Health Improvement Initiative
Rajshahi (PHIIR) Project' is extending necessary support to expedite the
reactivation process of the centre.

   The facility is expected to become a blessing to underprivileged village
mothers as it will provide emergency reproductive care of prenatal, normal
delivery, postnatal and neonatal services.

  DASCOH Foundation has been implementing the PHIIR project supported by
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 improve the health status of the targeted
population with a special focus on maternal, neonatal and child health at the
primary health care facilities.

  A 12-member joint monitoring team led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Pankaj
Chandra Debnath and Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Barnabas
Hasdak visited the Kamargaon USC on February 3 last expressing their
satisfaction over its reactivation process.

  "We have planned to make ready the labor room with necessary equipment like
mini fridge, oxygen cylinder, labor bed, PPH and Eclampsia Protocol within
the shortest possible time," said PHIIR Project Manager Tozammel Haque.

  Side by side with training on roles and responsibilities of the FMC, steps
have been taken to ensure normal vaginal delivery at the facility.