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Editorial

Urban community health centers in dire straits

Poor people unable to access free healthcare


Bangladeshpost
Published : 06 Oct 2019 06:51 PM | Updated : 29 Aug 2020 07:11 PM

Urban Primary Health Care Centre (UPHCC) is failing in their duty to provide access to healthcare free of charge. These centers are supposed to promote community primary health care through awareness creation and implementing health support activities in urban areas. 

Many residents of urban areas have expressed their frustration at these Urban Primary Health Care Services Delivery Project-run health centers. The project was started in 2000 with the aim to provide health care services for the poor, women and children. 

Many urban poor people are red card holders. They get all the treatment facilities from these centers completely free including cesarean child delivery service. Mismanagement and lack of proper monitoring have gripped these promising health care centers for the urban poor. The structural facilities of the urban health care centers had the great promise to become a model for health care services.


Due to negligence, these centers

 are no longer being able to provide 

good-quality healthcare

 to those who need it the most


Due to negligence, these centers are no longer being able to provide good-quality healthcare to those who need it the most. The government must implement a clear vision with regard to the monitoring and running of these urban medical facilities.

The city corporations and the LGRD ministry should adopt the right kind of referral system for patients. Those in need of specialized treatment should be referred to the right hospital or clinic with due diligence.

As a result of the failure of these health centers, many are turning to other public hospitals. They are forced to stand in queues and often they are unable to see the doctor as there are too many patients in each of the doctor’s chambers. 

The centers are often run by NGOs who are failing to ensure the smooth running of these places. The government must put pressure on NGOs to make sure that they are providing the best possible care and services to the urban poor. If possible the government must send monitoring bodies to these centers periodically to ensure that they are functioning at their highest capacity.