Brac has launched the “Shushastho Primary Healthcare Centre” to provide quality, technology-enabled healthcare services to over 38,000 people living in the remote char areas of Kurigram.
Brac, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), officially inaugurated the Shushastho Primary Healthcare Centre on Monday, in Char Narayanpur of Kurigram, under the “Charms” (Char Health and Resilience for Mothers and Society) project, according to a press release.
Despite notable progress in maternal and child health, communities in the remote char regions remain deprived of basic healthcare services. In many cases, women give birth at home without the support of skilled personnel, placing both mother and child at serious risk.
Moreover, a lack of timely medical attention to treatable conditions often escalates into life-threatening complications. Brac launched the healthcare project to address these challenges.
Funded by the Philips Foundation, this three-year initiative aims to deliver accessible, technology-enabled, quality primary healthcare services to over 38,000 people across 15 chars in the Narayanpur union of Nageshwari upazila in Kurigram district -- one of the country’s hard-to-reach areas.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the civil surgeon, local government officials, primary healthcare providers, Brac leadership, and community representatives.
Dr Shwapon Kumar Biswas, civil surgeon of Kurigram, said that Narayanpur union is home to nearly 40,000 people. While there are four government community clinics in the area, none currently offer delivery services.
He expressed optimism that Brac’s initiative will significantly strengthen local healthcare and that future collaboration with the government will further enhance services in the region.
In his remarks, Dr Imran Ahmed Chowdhury, head of Health System Transformation and Innovation at Brac Health Program (BHP), said that the launch of the Shushastho Primary Healthcare Centre under the Charms project exemplifies how innovation and technology can bridge critical gaps in service delivery while optimising resources.
Also present at the event were Dr ANM Golam Mohaimen, deputy civil surgeon (DCS) of Kurigram; Dr Sujan Saha, upazila health and family planning officer (UH&FPO) of Nageshwari upazila; Dr Md Atiqur Rahman, medical officer (MO) of World Health Organization (WHO); and Md Mostafizur Rahman Mostofa, chairman of 12 No Narayanpur Upazila Parishad.
This initiative aims to strengthen maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health services while also ensuring care for people with chronic conditions. Under the Charms project, the primary healthcare centre will remain open 24/7, where trained midwives and medical assistants will provide safe delivery services.
Additionally, services will include non-communicable disease (NCD) screening, immunization, and telemedicine consultations.
Community health workers (CHWs), trained from within the chars, are already conducting household visits to provide antenatal and postnatal care, raise awareness, and encourage safe health-seeking behaviours.
Skilled birth attendants, adolescent groups, and local leaders are also being mobilized to help shift long-standing social norms and promote facility-based deliveries.
Charms project aims to significantly reduce maternal and child mortality, improve immunization coverage, and strengthen community-led healthcare systems in disaster-prone, climate-vulnerable settings.
The project will also generate evidence for future replication in other hard-to-reach areas across Bangladesh.
