Improving UHCs' condition

There are around 500 upazila health complexes (UHCs) across the country. The government has been trying to improve their care facilities. From these rural healthcare centres, people are getting primary health services and a total of 30 types of medicines free of cost. However, most of these complexes have been suffering from an acute shortage of doctors, nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists and general officers and staff. More than half of the posts of physicians and other staff have been lying vacant for long at these health care units. Another problem of these complexes is that most of them do not have any facilities for disease diagnostic tests.

At present, medical treatment relies heavily on pathological tests. But test facilities are not available at all at the government-run upazila health complexes. So, patients have to perform their diagnostic tests in private facilities, which is quite expensive. These are not always reliable too. Many people cannot afford such tests. Therefore, the government should focus more on improving health care facilities at these complexes by introducing pathological tests at an affordable price. This will improve healthcare facilities in rural Bangladesh. People will no longer need to travel to cities like Dhaka for treatment and this can save some money.

Md Ashraf Hossain,

120, Central Bashabo, Dhaka-1214,

mah120cb@yahoo.com