Primary Health Care: Introducing ‘Village Solidarity Group’ for Effective Operation of Community Clinic in Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Health, like education, is among the basic capabilities that value human life [1]. It, indeed, contributes to both social and economic prosperity [2]. Health systems are primarily ineffective in reaching the poor, generating less benefit for the poor than the rich and imposing a regressive cost burden on poor households [3]. Neglect, abuse, and marginalization are the issues of their normal experiences [4]. Based on experience, it can be said that poor people will be effectively excluded unless the services are geographically accessible, of decent quality, fairly financed, and responsive [5]. Community Clinic (CC) was introduced as a project in 1998, which was renamed in 2009 as “Revitalization of Community Healthcare Initiatives in Bangladesh” (RCHCIB), targeting about 6000 population at the lowest administrative tier, ward level. Currently (as of September 2017), 13,442 CCs are operational. From July 2015, all the activities of CCs were being carried out under an Operational Plan of the DGHS, Community-based Healthcare (CBHC), which is now being accomplished under the 4th HPNSP (Health Population and Nutrition Sector Programme) 2017-2022. Hundreds of thousands of villagers, particularly the poor and the underprivileged mothers and children, are the beneficiaries of the services from the nearby CCs. The average estimation reveals that about 9.5-10 million patient visits occur nationwide each month in the CCs [6].