DHAKA, May 30, 2024 (BSS) - Rahela Khatun used to live at Rupsha upazila in Khulna district with her family. For the last couple of days, she has been suffering from pain in her stomach. Her husband is a day-labourer. She does not have enough money to go to a private clinic for treatment. Later, her husband took her to the nearby Durjoni Mohol Community Clinic.

After getting treatment, Rahela and her husband Mizan have become grateful to the community clinic authority.

Not only Rahela, many women and children are getting free treatment and free medicines from the community clinics across the country. The clinics become like a blessing for the people specially for women and children.

In Khulna district, there are about 203 community clinics. Most of the clinics are popular among the commoners. The clinics not only providing preliminary treatment but also expanding of the services offered the community clinic by appointing one medical officer.

Another woman of the area, fifty-three-year-old Ayesha Begum visited the Durjoni Mohol Community Clinic frequently. She has a number of health complications like back pain and weakness.

Ayesha said, "I visit the clinic about two times in a month. Besides, every member of my family visits the clinics for treatment. We are also getting many medicines with free of cost from here. This is really become like a blessing for us. I would like to extend my thanks to our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. We are getting the health facility in our door-steps without any cost only for her."

Rafiza Khanom visited the clinic along with her five-year old boy Rasul. He has been suffering from fever and cough during the last week. After getting treatment and medicine, she is happy.

Rafiza said, "My husband is a rickshaw puller. He is the only earning member in the family. We have also two daughters and my father-in-law and mother-in-law in the family. All members of my family often visit the clinic for treatment."

Assistant Health Inspector of the Aichgati union Syed Mizanur Rahman said that people can be cured if they are aware of the health problems. Most patients who visit the clinic are women, he added.

Khulna Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Safiqul Islam said that the Community Clinic is one of the 10 initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. "Community Clinic is a brain child of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to extend primary health care services to the doorsteps of people throughout the country, especially in rural areas," he added.

Health Engineering Department (HED) Khulna Information Office sources said there are about 203 community clinics in the Khulna district, while construction work of 17 completely new model clinics continues. Of them, four have already been completed.

On the other hand, the Community Clinic Health Support Trust launched a guideline on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) for community clinics in the country few months ago.

The WASH guideline marked the initiation of changing its facilities in community clinics as a standard for community level health service providers to improve quality health services.