Poverty and basic health services

According to the report, about 25 to 30 million rural people are facing chronic poverty in the form of low food consumption, under nutrition, lack of access to basic health services, illiteracy and other deprivations!

Being a doctor and having 10 years' experience of working under the Directorate of Family Planning, with experience of conducting sterilisation at Family Welfare Centres (FWC) and attending satellite clinics; being aware of the last Health Nutrition & Population Sector Programme (HNPSP) extending from July 2003 to June 2006; and close perusal of newspaper reports have made me concerned about Health & Family Planning Services in our country.

The news about Community Clinics (CC) had attracted my attention! It has been reported that constructed CCs are not working at all, despite having 17 types of medicine supply such as antibiotics, antiseptics, painkillers, digestive pills, ant worm tablets and cough syrups. An amount of Tk 50,000 is allocated for the medicines.

I came to know a few months ago that about 80,000 Family Welfare Workers, who are almost entirely women, had lost their jobs. Along with donors, our government was convinced that Community Clinic service would be enough to provide health service in rural areas. From my experience, I admire the role of Family Welfare Workers. They can play a great role in improvement of family planning service and utilisation of Community Clinic (CC). They are very good in motivation.

Therefore, service provision in Community Clinic (CC) by ultimate motivation could provide health service to our rural poor! Hence, the government should provide the salary of FWW to ensure door to door service.

I am unable to suggest any effective strategy for other problems, such as low-food-consumption, hunger, under nutrition and illiteracy.