A great success in safe motherhood

Officials of CONCERN and municipal health workers screening a film on safe motherhood (left) and holding a meeting (right) at a ward to create awareness among people. PHOTO: STAR

The credit goes to the municipal authorities and CONCERN, a foreign voluntary organisation.

They jointly launched a pilot project styled 'Child Survival Programme' (CSP) for healthcare and creating awareness among people, particularly mothers. It was launched in the town in September 1998 with financial assistance from USAID.

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"Though it was initiated by CONCERN, it was successfully implemented by health workers of Syedpur municipality", CONCERN Project Manager Dr AFM Mostafa Sarkar told this correspondent yesterday.

Following the success at Sdyedpr, CONCERN has decided to expand the programme to seven more municipalities-- Rangpur, Dinajpur, Bogra, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Joypurhat.

Syedpur municipality will be the 'learning centre' for others, he said.

Under this programme, Syedpur municipality health workers and midwives, trained by CONCERN trainers, take care of mothers and babies during childbirth, prenatal and postnatal periods. CONCERN also supplies logistics. Together, they also organise programmes to create awareness among people.

According to statistics conducted by CONCERN and the municipality, the percentage of child-bearing mothers coming to health centres for regular checkup rose to 72 last year from 58 earlier. The rate of delivery at maternity centres rose to 53 per cent from 25 per cent. Attendance by trained nurses during child birth either at houses or at maternity centres rose to 74 per cent from 38.06 and 53 per cent of expected mothers are now taking Titenus injection against 48 per cent earlier.

The most significant aspect of the programme is the formation of 'ward health committees' in 15 wards in the municipality.

Each committee headed by the ward commissioner comprises 13 members drawn from people of different professions including newsmen. The committee monitors healthcare and sanitation in the ward.

Activities of the committees are co-ordinated by the municipal chairman as the Chief Co-ordinator.

Besides, 509 volunteers are working in all the mohollas (a ward consists of a number of mahallas). They give information to the committees on healthcare and monitor the sanitary situation in their respective areas.

The ward health workers, committees and volunteers jointly organise meetings, seminars, health fairs to make the people aware of dangers during childbirth and facilities.

All these co-ordinated efforts make the programme a success, said CONCERN trainers Mostafiza Binte Shila and Hosne Ara Lipi.

Fedousi Begum, mother of a new born baby thanked the organisers of the CSP after her first safe delivery.

"I was anxious but they have ensured a safe delivery", she said while talking to this correspondent during a visit to a maternity centre.

Renowned child specialist at Syedpur, Dr Abu Mortuza Ahmed, told newsmen recently that the joint efforts to check death of babies and pregnant mothers achieved a commendable success.

"It is remarkable and should be spread throughout the country", said Dr Sheikh Nazrul Islam, a local leader of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA).

Syedpur Municipal Chairman and lawmaker Amzad Hossen Sarkar said the CSP initiated a new era in the municipality.