Of the numerous ambitions Bangladesh wishes to achieve in its journey as a nation, nothing is more important than creating a healthy and equitable nation.
For that to happen, not only must our marginalized communities be afforded better opportunities to transform their lives, but we must also ensure that they are able to access medical services. This is especially true for populations in remote regions, who have historically been deprived of quality healthcare.
To that end, we applaud Human Concern USA (HC USA), a US-based humanitarian organization, who in partnership with the Health Management BD (HMBD) Foundation and Humaniti Foundation have launched an innovative “Clinic on Wheels” (CoW) initiative.
The program intuitively aims to deliver essential medical care to underserved communities in districts like Tangail, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, and Sherpur, with each CoW unit being a self-contained mobile clinic staffed with two doctors, a nurse, a midwife, and medical assistants, equipped with diagnostic tools and essential medicines while also operating monthly medical camps, providing free check-ups, consultations, and medications.
It is safe to say that these are the sort of initiatives that we should be seeing more of; we hope that the authorities concerned not only ensure that the project continues, but that there are resources mobilized to increase the capacity of such programs.
We have seen underserved populations for far too long be deprived of life-saving medical services. Prioritizing the health and well-being of all citizens, regardless of where they are and what they do, must be top of mind of our leaders and policymakers if we are to rebuild our nation and create a better Bangladesh for all.
