Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon on Wednesday underscored the need for setting up community clinics in each ward under the city corporation areas to ensure health services for the ultra-poor people.
"It is necessary to set up community clinics in every ward of the city corporations to ensure health services for the ultra-poor people of the city. If we can do so, the overall healthcare facilities within the city corporations will improve significantly," he said.
The DSCC mayor was addressing a view-exchange meeting on 'To Ensure Primary Health Services and Nutrition for Poor People in City to Reduce Poverty and Discrimination' as the chief guest at Sonargaon Hotel in the city.
All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Human Rights and APPG on Extreme Poverty and Urban Pavement Dwellers organised the meeting with former foreign minister and Chairperson of the APPG on Human Rights Dr Dipu Moni in the chair.
Consortium Manager of the Concern Worldwide, a non government organisation, Imranul Haque presented the keynote paper in the meeting while Senior Policy Advisor to the APPGs Tim Zahid Hossain addressed the programme.
Addressing the meeting, Sayeed Khokon laid emphasis on creating coordination between government and non-government organisations, including different ministries and city corporations, to provide uninterrupted health services for city's ultra poor community.
He also urged the government to bring the activities of ongoing projects, especially health services to the city dwellers and the related NGOs, into accountability to ensure proper implementation of those.
Members of the Parliament Sanjida Khanam, Waresat Hussain Belal, Israfil Alam and Abdul Wadud, acting Director General of Directorate of Health Services Professor Dr Nasima Sultana and DSCC Chief Executive Officer Khan Mohammad Bilal, among others, took part in the open discussion, reports BSS.