Health Service Centre is a project of BASTOB supported by Anukul Foundation. The project has successfully completed its 10th year with the continuous support of Anukul Foundation. The aim of the project is to ensure basic healthcare education and primary treatment of the microfinance clients and their family members who are living around the BASTOB Badaldi, Uttara, Dhaka branch office arena. BASTOB and Anukul Foundation jointly started this journey on 1st July 2011, considering the health awareness and treatment needs of the microfinance clients and the local community. This health support program has had a lot of positive impact on the clients as well as the organization to carry out the microfinance project activities. This health project addresses the various health needs like mother, child, and adolescent health and education, basic treatment, women’s pregnancy care with the support of Iron and calcium tablets for each poor woman, referring to hospitals, MBBS doctor support, ensuring discount support of medicine and medical tests from the local pharmacies and local clinics.

Case Study: Bithi Akhter’s Journey

Bithi Akter, a young mother from Chandpur, faced severe health challenges due to anemia, especially during her second pregnancy. Her family’s limited income made it difficult to afford necessary medical care. Discovering the health services offered by the BASTOB NGO, Bithi received crucial support, including free iron and calcium tablets, dietary advice, and regular medical check-ups from a paramedic. Following the paramedic’s advice, Bithi visited the BASTOB office to consult with an MBBS doctor and began following his guidance. Due to her poor health, the paramedic started regular home visits for check-ups. Despite initial difficulties during labor, Bithi safely delivered a healthy baby boy at Kurmitola General Hospital, thanks to timely advice from BASTOB.

Bithi’s family expressed immense gratitude towards BASTOB for their unwavering support and comprehensive care. They believe that without the medical assistance, guidance, and regular check-ups provided by BASTOB, Bithi’s situation could have been dire. The timely intervention of the BASTOB paramedic during Bithi’s labor was crucial, especially when they faced the challenge of finding no available doctors at the BRAC delivery center due to Eid. The paramedic’s recommendation to go to Kurmitola General Hospital ensured a safe delivery for Bithi. The family’s heartfelt thanks go to everyone involved in BASTOB’s medical services for making a significant difference in their lives. They are particularly thankful for the consistent care, timely advice, and compassionate approach of BASTOB’s team, which helped Bithi through her challenging pregnancy and ensured the safe arrival of her baby.