About 17.5 million people are currently getting primary healthcare services from 1,947 Community Clinics (CCs) in Rajshahi Division, according to a senior official.
Reading out a keynote paper at a meeting in Rajshahi on Thursday, divisional director of the Health Directorate Dr Anisur Rahman said over 16.7 million people, including 1.442 million newborns, received primary healthcare services from the community clinics in Rajshahi Division in 2016.
He said antenatal services were also given to about 138,768 pregnant mothers while postnatal services to 80,331 others from the CCs in eight districts under the division, reports BSS.
Divisional Office of the Health Directorate arranged the meeting at its office conference room, marking the 18th founding anniversary of community clinics.
Dr Anisur said the existing community clinics have attained the trusts of marginal people as they are getting primary healthcare services from the clinics regularly.
"We mainly provide five healthcare services and 28 types of medicines to people free of cost," he said.
Noting that the CCs have been reaching the healthcare services at the doorsteps of common people, the health official said they are getting health education, referral advice, pregnancy check-up and vaccination at the clinics.
He said the government is working sincerely to reach the healthcare services at the people's doorsteps. "Reactivation and revitalisation of the community clinics is a great achievement of the present government."
Dr Anisur said the government recruited 6,500 physicians in 2014 and it has a plan to appoint 10,000 more doctors in the near future.
He said the shortage of nurse in hospitals has already been resolved through appointment of 10,000 nurses.
Additional commissioner of Rajshahi Division Aminul Islam, superintendent of police Abdus Salam and deputy director of Health Directorate Gopen Chandra Acharya, among others, spoke at the meeting.
