Community Health Care Providers: Our unsung health heroes

In the remote corners of Bangladesh, where access to healthcare is a distant dream for many, there are unsung heroes quietly making a difference. These are the Community Health Care Providers (CHCPs), individuals who dedicate themselves to providing essential healthcare services, often facing immense challenges.

For a bit of a background: in 1978, Bangladesh committed to achieving "Health for All" by 2000 through Primary Health Care, as per The Declaration of Alma-Ata. However, by 1996, it became clear that the efforts to achieve these goals were falling short due to limited access to primary healthcare services in rural areas and insufficient community engagement. To address these challenges, the government initiated a bold plan in 1996, establishing Community Clinic (CC) to bring healthcare to approximately 6,000 rural citizens. And CHCPs are the lifeline of these community clinics.

Community engagement faces hurdles, with CC committee meetings often seeing low attendance unless there's compensation or food provided. 'Our community group is good, but the problem is that people do not want to come to the meetings,' one CHCP observed.

The selection of CHCPs is a rigorous government-led process, involving written exams at government colleges and viva assessments at the Civil Surgeon's office. This guarantees that only qualified and dedicated individuals are chosen for this vital role. They undergo three months of basic training provided by the government, which equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide essential healthcare services to their communities. But CHCPs are not just healthcare providers; they are community members themselves, deeply invested in the wellbeing of their neighbours. They work tirelessly to provide a range of essential healthcare services to their communities, including primary healthcare, antenatal care, postnatal care, adolescent counselling, Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) sessions, referral of serious patients, registration of new couples, maintaining health records of children under the age of five, and providing family planning counselling.

CHCPs serving in the challenging landscapes of Bangladesh must also grapple with a unique set of obstacles. Those we interviewed operate in hard-to-reach areas, often in wards or unions that are not easily accessible. The rugged terrain, characterised by hills, rivers, and/or dense forests, presents formidable challenges to healthcare access. As one CHCP aptly put it, "During monsoon, reaching some villages becomes nearly impossible. But we can't let that deter us; people depend on us for their healthcare needs."

In these remote areas, local residents often approach CHCPs, requesting specific medicines regardless of medical necessity. "Local people come to us, mention the name of a medicine, and ask us to provide it, whether they need that type of medicine or not. If we do not provide it, they blame us," shared one CHCP. Refusing these requests can lead to blame falling on the CHCPs, adding an emotional burden to their already challenging roles.

Furthermore, CHCPs are often compelled to take on tasks beyond their training. Despite lacking vaccination training, they are tasked with EPI coverage. This responsibility forces them to make difficult choices, such as temporarily closing the CC or calling in additional staff to manage both roles simultaneously.

In flood-prone regions with inadequate road infrastructure, a CC may be forced to shut down for up to six months. Floodwater renders the roads impassable, preventing CHCPs from reaching the CC and community members from accessing essential healthcare services. Infrastructure, particularly the rudimentary road network, also becomes treacherous during the monsoon season. "Addressing road, electricity, and infrastructure issues will help me serve 30-40 patients daily," stated another CHCP, underscoring the importance of overcoming these hurdles to improve healthcare accessibility.

In the hill tracts, CCs lack basic facilities such as toilets and tube wells, leaving both service providers and receivers struggling. Safety concerns loom large as well, with no nearby localities, leaving CHCPs vulnerable.

Financial struggles are another harsh aspect of life for many CHCPs, making it challenging to meet their own needs, let alone provide continuous healthcare services.

Community engagement faces hurdles, with CC committee meetings often seeing low attendance unless there's compensation or food provided. "Our community group is good, but the problem is that people do not want to come to the meetings," one CHCP observed. This sentiment reflects the challenge of community engagement in these remote areas.

Still, in the words of one CHCP, "We face hardships, but we keep going because we know our communities depend on us." Their service in the face of adversity is a testament to their strength and the criticality of the role they play in delivering healthcare to the farthest reaches of Bangladesh.

Dr Lamisa Rahman is working on health systems and universal health coverage as a research associate at the Brac James P Grant School of Public Health.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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