Extended Hours of Care: Community Clinics Now Open from 10am to the Wee Hours of 1:30am
Community Clinics in Joypurhat: A Review of Healthcare Services
In Joypurhat, 113 community clinics have been accused of not following the schedule. Although these clinics are supposed to provide services between 9 am and 3 pm, the concerned health officials are not complying with it. Most community clinics in the area open after 10 am.
Health officers and upazila inspectors are supposed to visit the clinics regularly, but there have been complaints that they are not performing that duty properly. Because of this, the local people are deprived of medical services.
Community clinics were launched across the country to provide healthcare to the marginalized people of the country. The clinic is supposed to provide various services including maternal and child health care, family planning services, immunization programs, and counseling. However, due to an unskilled workforce and lack of regular supervision, its main objective is not succeeding.
On Saturday (September 7), when the watchers went to Madhainagar Community Clinic in Amdai Union of Sadar Upazila around 1:30 pm, they found that the officers on duty had left long ago. On the same day at 1:20 am, I went to the Chhatinali Union Health Center of Aolai Union of Pachambibi Upazila and saw that the lock was hanging there.
Abdur Rahim of Chatinali village in Aolai Union of Panchbibi Upazila told Jago News, ‘We see them (health officials) coming at 10 in the morning and sometimes at 11, yet leaving before 1. We don’t village people understand that it is supposed to be open from kata to kata. When you go to them, they give you nothing but one or two kinds of medicine.’
Shahnaz Begum, who came to service in Koralgari village in Kshetlal upazila, told Jago News, ‘We don’t get much time to take medicine. It would be better for us to have the medicines that are supposed to be in the clinics.’
Manik Hossain, Community Health Care Provider (CHCP) of Rampura Chowdhurypara Community Clinic of the same upazila, told Jago News, ‘I am there every day between 9 am and 3 pm except Friday. Sometimes I go to Upazila Health Complex for various tasks. That’s why it can be closed.’
He also said, we have a shortage of medicine. If you get them, there will be no more complaints about not getting medicine.
CHCP Fazilatun Parul of Monjhar Dashra Community Clinic in Kshetlal Upazila told Jago News, “I admitted that some people have complaints, but they don’t know how to give medicine if they don’t have it.” When they are not medicated, some people misunderstand. He claimed to sit in the office regularly.
District Civil Surgeon Officer Dr. Ruhul Amin told Jago News that the office is open from 9 am to 3 pm. If someone goes late or leaves early, action will be taken against them. In addition, 20 types of medicine are given in the clinics, he said.