Ishwardi community clinics limp, 5 of 28 already shut
Like four others in the upazila, Maniknagar community clinic in Salimpur union under Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district has remained closed for the last eight months, depriving locals of healthcare and family planning services. Photo: STAR
Five of 28 community clinics in seven unions of Ishwardi upazila have remained closed for eight months while the rest are failing to provide proper services due to manpower shortage. The ministry of health set up the community clinics, like other areas in the country, to reach healthcare and family planning services to the rural people, especially in remote areas. In March this year, local land donors forced closure of two community clinics in Solimpur union, one in Pakshey union, one in Lakhikund union and one in Sara union under Ishwardi upazila, alleging that the authorities did not provide job for their family members as per condition of land donation. “When the clinics were set up in 2000 we donated our valuable land for it and the government assured us that a member of each donor family would be provided job under health department in return of the donation. But the department did not recruit anybody from our family for long,” Md Akter Hossain, land donor of Solimpur union community clinic, said. "Health department men recently recruited many workers but they did not recruit any of our family members as we could not give bribe. We have shut the clinics for violating condition," he added. Asked about the matter, Civil Surgeon Dr Gaziul Alam said, "We understand their sentiment but the district health department cannot appoint anybody according to their will because the recruitment goes through a proper planning. We will form an inquiry committee to investigate why the clinics are closed." During this correspondent's visit to different community clinics including the closed ones, locals expressed their dissatisfaction due to deprivation of primary health services. “The community clinics are meant for providing primary treatment and medicines for village people. As the five clinics have remained closed for long, people, especially in remote areas, suffer due to lack of treatment in case of fever, dehydration or other casual diseases,” said Md Anisur Rahman Mollah, chairman of Lakhhikunda union parishad. Pintu Ali, Safura Begum, Shahidul Islam and many other villagers of Salimpur union said they want early reopening of the clinics to provide the villagers health care and family planning services. Meanwhile, most other community clinics in the upazila are running with poor manpower. The civil surgeon said, "A total of 229 community health care providers are being appointed in different community clinics under nine upazilas of the district. They will be given a three months' training before the appointment.” Locals, however, said 229 new health care providers will prove too inadequate as there are 245 community clinics in the district.
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