Lack of access to proper medical facilities are among the leading causes of infant and child mortality, maternal mortality, and prevalence of wide-spread treatable physical deformities (split lips, abscess, cataracts, etc) in most of the developing countries.
Promotion of rural health
Mata-shishu provides information and training on pregnancy and childbirth. The trainees will pass on their knowledge to the village women and encourage them to come to the hospital instead of relying on nonprofessional care when serious complications arise.
The hospital also provides free medicine to the poor, whenever available through the donations received.
It also has an Ambulance, which provides emergency services.
Services provided
The hospital’s main focuses are:
■ Pre-natal and post-natal maternity/child care. It is equipped with modern obstetric equipment for high quality care during pregnancy and delivery to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
■ Child injuries. This is a serious problem in Bangladesh. In the rural areas, whenever a child suffers burns, cuts, broken bones, twisted limbs, drowning and/or gets seriously hurt, parents do not have access to affordable and proper care. They resort to traditional village healers or do nothing at all. As a result, lots of children die due to injuries which can be easily cured if treated on time and amongst those who survive, large numbers live with some form of deformity and/or scars for the rest of their life.
Mata-shishu also provides information and training on pregnancy and childbirth. The trainees will pass on their knowledge to the village women and encourage them to come to the hospital instead of relying on non-professional care when serious complications arise.
It has a Pathological labaratory for basic tests of blood, urine, stool etc.
It has a X-Ray facilities, donated by Major Taneem Hassan (Retd), Managing Director, Blue Star Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh and his brother Tazeem Hassan (Babu), Ontario, Canada.
The hospital also provides free medicines to the poor, whenever available through the donations received.
It also has an Ambulance, which provides emergency
services with minimum charge to cover fuel and
driver’s salary only.
Management of the hospital
The hospital is managed by a local committee, in collaboration with the local government authorities and staffed by trained doctors, nurses and midwives. Dr A. Momin, MBBS and with a post-graduate degree in public health, Retired Civil Surgeon of Thakurgaon district Hospital, is the current director of the Hospital. Dr Lutfa Begum, MBBS, specializing in gynecology is the President of the local committee.
It provides almost free medical services to all patients. A token fee of Taka 20 (less than US cents 20) is charged to discourage abuse and cover some basic running cost.
Hospital location
The hospital is located in Rahimanpur Village, Thakurgaon Road, Thakurgaon. The village is located in a rural area which connects Baliadanghi, Ruhea and Thakurgaon. It is about 15 Km from the
district town Thakurgaon and about 500 Km from the Capital, Dhaka (see map below).
