Health care delivery is a daunting challenge area of the Bangladesh’s healthcare systems. Bangladesh is still lagging in health care services for the poor as well as the affluent. Currently, around 30% people of Bangladesh reside in urban areas. As a result of rapid urbanization, this percentage is projected to increase to 60% by 2030 (CIA World Bank Fact
Book). As per study report, 40% urban poor are residing in the cities, 29% at divisional
towns, and 29% urban people are currently living at the municipalities.
This rapid expansion has placed significant pressure on health services and facilities in urban areas. Urban healthcare situation for the poor in the country needs immediate attention. As a consequence, other cities, townships, and urban centers will experience a significant boom in mass mobilization, and population concentration.
All of IMPACT INITIATIVE-IMI’s healthcare services are underpinned by protection measures. This means we ensure that groups facing highly vulnerable situations or with special needs have access and dignity in attaining the quality care they need to live healthy lives. For people affected by poverty or disaster, health is essential to a better future. With good health, they can attend school, be productive at work, care for their families and contribute to strong communities. Poor health puts all of those opportunities at risk. Health is fundamental to all aspects of development.
Our mobile volunteer medical teams carry out weekly, fortnightly or monthly visits to isolated communities to perform courtyard sessions, where they inform communities about hygiene and nutrition and provide basic treatment and free medicines. The overall goal of IMI’s community healthcare services project is to improve the health status of the urban population, especially the poor, through improved access to and utilization of efficient, effective and sustainable Primary Health Care Services.
IMI work helps people in vulnerable situations achieve good health by:
- Delivering primary healthcare and emergency treatment
- Connecting patients to mental health and trauma counseling services
- Deploying mobile medical units to hard-to-reach areas
- Launching community-based disease prevention campaigns
- Educating families about basic healthcare
- Training local youth to become caregiver workers
Community members of catchment areas believe that IMI facilities are the place for basic primary health care service for the community. Community members get free medical services, health counselling, free medicine and so on. On the other hand, the model of diagnostic services followed is thought to be reasonable and at affordable minimum charge from the beneficiaries to manage the maintenance cost of the labs. It is also a unique model of Public Private Partnership for providing healthcare to the urban poor, especially to the mothers and children.