Health centres exist in name only

Although most of the unions in the two upazilas have such centres to provide health and family planning services, a good many of them face acute staff shortage. But despite there being sufficient number of employees and officials in the other centres, it is difficult to get services from there mostly because of the staff’s absence or their irregular and callus duties. Sources at the District Health and Family Planning office said each of the UHFWCs housed in a two-storey building is supposed to have a staff of nine, including a medical officer, one deputy assistant community medical officer, one pharmacist, one family planning inspector, three assistants, one MLSS and one maid. During a recent visit, a few anomalies at some of the union health centres in the two upazilas came to the notice of this correspondent. In some centres, medical officers, deputy assistant community medical officers, pharmacists and MLSSs were found absent from their duties, despite the posts remaining filled. The centres were running with only one female family planning inspector and a maid. A good number of the centres were found either closed or somehow open with presence of only the maid. While visiting Nagerpara Health and Family Welfare Centre in Goshairhat, this correspondent found female family planning inspector Mahfuza Khanam idling way time in her room.