Pregnant mother availing reproductive healthcare services in Rajshahi

Publish: 6:42 PM, December 29, 2020 | Update: 6:42 PM, December 29, 2020

RAJSHAHI, – Pregnant mothers are availing reproductive healthcare services by dint of creating awareness among the grassroots populations contributing a lot towards boosting the number of not only the institutional but also safe and normal delivery in the region.

Taslima Akhter Brishti, 20, was blessed with her first baby through normal delivery at Shiranti Union Health and Family Welfare Center (UHFWC) without any complexities on October 20 last.

“I’m very much happy after achieving my healthy baby,” said Brishti of Voyeol Chairman Para Village under Sapahar Upazila in Naogaon district, lapping her smiling newborn on Monday.

She availed all the necessary reproductive healthcare services free of cost from the centre smoothly. “We had no capacity to bear the cost of the cesarean section with my husband’s limited income,” she added in a chalked voice.

Another mother Resma Khatun, 21, wife of Mizanur Rahman of the same village, is also happy after obtaining their first baby through normal delivery in the same centre on November 30 last.

“I’ve received healthcare services amid necessary counseling by community volunteers during the pregnancy period to make sure my safe and normal delivery,” she opined.

Shiranti UHFWC, around five-kilometer off the upazila health complex which is the nearest higher referral center for getting comparatively better services, is assigned to provide primary healthcare services to around 29,078 population.

Nadira Banu, a Family Welfare Visitor of Shiranti UHFWC, said trained community volunteers of the Public Health Improvement Initiatives Rajshahi (PHIIR) project are bringing the pregnant mothers under regular Antenatal Care (ANC) and Postnatal Care (PNC) at the centre for their safe delivery.

“Routine ANC and PNC services together with institutional delivery are very important for freeing the expectant mothers from various pregnancy related complexities,” said Dr Kustari Amina Queen, Deputy Director of the Department of Family Planning, Naogaon.

She viewed many of the pregnant mothers particularly the rural and marginalized ones suffer a lot because of complexities due to their ignorance. But, the situation has started changing with government and non-government level interventions at present, she added.

“We have arranged financial incentives for the community volunteers and pregnant mothers to ensure reproductive healthcare services in the primary healthcare centre,” said Abdul Baki, Chairman of Shiranti Union Parishad.

DASCOH Foundation has been implementing the PHIIR project in five upazila health complexes, 42 UHFWCs and 110 Community Clinics under Bagmara, Charghat and Tanore Upazilas in Rajshahi and Porsha and Sapahar Upazilas in Naogaon districts for the last couple of years.

The project is intended to improve the health status of the targeted population with special focus on maternal, neonatal and child health at primary health care level.

“We have recorded 1,896 normal deliveries comprising 1,560 in upazila health complexes, 311 in UHFWCs and 25 in union sub centers in the project covering areas in the last 11 months of the current year,” said PHIIR Project Manager Tozammel Haque.

Assistant Professor Dr Nargis Shamima of the Department of obstetrics and gynecology in Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital said normal delivery is at least nine times beneficial compared to cesarean section.

All major surgeries carry risks of bad reaction to the anesthesia, infection, hemorrhaging and blood clots.

She clarified that there are also additional risks with a cesarean, such as inflammation of the uterus, surgical injury to the bowel or bladder and amniotic fluid embolism particularly when amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream and can cause a serious reaction.