Community clinics to be run by community, says Dr Ruhal
Empowering community people is the only way to sustain community clinic service despite political changes, said Health Minister Ruhal Haque yesterday.
"We want the people of the community to run the community clinics themselves, so that political changeover cannot hamper the service in future any more," said the minister at a view exchange meeting with journalists.
He made the remark against a background of almost all the 10,723 community clinics, established during the previous tenure of the Awami League (1996-2001), being closed down after the BNP-Jamaat-led government assumed power in 2002.
The AL began revitalizing the clinics once again after it returned to power in 2009, considering it as its top-most priority in the health sector.
Revitalization of Community Health Care Initiatives in Bangladesh, a project of the ministry of health and family welfare, organised the meeting at Jatiya Press Club in the morning to brief journalists on the project.
According to data provided at the meeting, the government till November 2011 established 11,262 community clinics. As many as 12,991 community health care providers have already been appointed in this regard.
The data, however, show that 1,120 community clinics could not be built in 58 districts due to the non-availability of land. The community clinics already established are situated on land donated by individuals.
Minister of State for Health Mujibur Rahman Fakir and Dr Makhduma Nargis, programme director of the community clinic project, also spoke.
Prime Minister's Adviser Syed Modasser Ali also attended the meeting.
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