Decentralized Health Service Delivery System in Bangladesh: Evaluating Community Clinics in Promoting Healthcare for the Rural Poor

Abstract

The Awami League government of Bangladesh has established community clinics as decentralized healthcare units at the village level to ensure smooth and equal access to family planning, preventive health services, and limited curative care for the local community. The primary aspiration of this study is to evaluate the dynamics of service delivery systems under decentralized community clinics in rural areas of Bangladesh. It also aims to explore the challenges of accessing healthcare services and the impacts of decentralization on the promotion of the service delivery system of the community clinics. A qualitative field study was conducted in Sylhet District in the northeastern part of Bangladesh to collect the necessary data regarding the study objectives. The respondents were sampled through a purposive sampling method. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study findings revealed that the aspect of services in community clinics is being questioned due to different sociocultural, political, economic, and administrative stumbling blocks. If the government ensures skilled workforce, structural and technical support, locallevel planning, adequate funding, strategic coordination, and delegation of functions to address the challenges in providing health services to community clinics, then it is believed that these community-knit clinics would be considered as the lighthouse for providing primary healthcare for the disadvantaged rural sections of Bangladesh.

Short and Long-Term Health Risks and Complexities among Caesarean Mothers and Babies in Bangladesh: A Case Study

“…A large number of people of this area are living in England, so a handsome amount of foreign remittance comes here from them. Taking this opportunity many pople migarte here from different parts of the country (Seddiky, 2020). This region is very close to indian border, and many poor refuges from indian parts are living here permanently.…”

“…In comparison to vaginal birth, cesarean section birth has a higher rate of maternal mortality and morbidity (Sandall et al, 2018). Hence, the concern for rising countries like Bangladesh, is more due to its socio-political, economic and administrative stumbling blocks (Seddiky, 2020). Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries in the world.…”