Mr. Mostafa Kamal Pasha, Honorable Parliament Member, (Sandwip, Chittagong-16) is giving speech in Public Hearing.

Sandwip DPPF organized a Public Hearing on 22 July 2012 at Poet Abdul Hakim Auditorium, Upazilla Complex in Sandwip through the assistance of BNPS. Total 280 participants (80female and 200 male) attended the Public Hearing. The mearing was organized to share the situation of the maternal health and girls’ child education of Sandwip with the Parliament Member and government officials of education and health services and local government representatives. Mr. Mostafa Kamal Pasha, Honorable Parliament Member, Sandwip,Chittagong-16, was the chief guest and Mr.Mir Sawkat Ali, UNO was special guest. Mr. Harunor Rasid, Upazilla Education Officer, Ms. Ismat Ara Begum, Upazilla Secondary Education officer, Dr. Delwar Hossain, Upazilla Health and Family Planning office were also presented as guest. The hearing was moderated by Mr. Ilias Kamal Babu, member of Sandwip public policy forum and chaired by Mr. M.A. Halim, Conveynor of SPPF. Local government representatives, NGOs representatives, teachers, health service providers, journalists and general people were attended in this hearing. Mr. Ferdous Ahmed, Centre Manager, BNPS Chittagong Center; Mr. Samsuddin, Centre Manager, BNPS Sandwip Center were also presented.

Public Hearing title
Improving Adolescent Girl’s and Women’s Access to Public Health Services and Retention of Girl’s in School in Sandwip: People’s Expectation and Support from MP’s and National Institutions.

Program Objective
To raise and draw attention of Parliament Members to address the specific reproductive health problems and to improve retention of girl student in schools in the remote island of Sandwip.

The following issues was shared and discussed during the meeting

At the beginning, Mr. M. A. Halim, conveynor of Sandwip Public Policy Forum started the hearing with welcoming everybody and introduced member of Sandwip Public Policy and their role and responsibilities. He brought up attention about the lack of services of their hospital. He said that pregnant mothers faced several types of problem. Also he shared about reproductive health situation of Sandwip and the specific causes of the maternal health problems. He mentioned about the transportation system, absence of doctor in community clinics, lack of knowledge of reproductive health system, insufficient manpower in the clinic. Nine members from different sectors and 6 Public Policy Forum members raised questions in this public hearing.

Mr. Mir Sawkat Ali, UNO Sandwip said, Sandwip is an island of 762.42 sq km, but at present it is 84 sq km because of erosion. It takes a 5-hour long journey from Chittagong city by a small ship through the Meghna and the Bay of Bengal. Around 3.5 lakh people live here. Sandwip is beyond the national grid for electricity. Here people depend on solar panels for electricity generation. Lack of treatment for problems related to reproductive and maternal health is severe in this upazilla.  Government is aware of maternal health situation and drop-out situation of girl chid from the school, but sometimes it may be failed due to proper monitoring. He requested to Upazilla family planning & health officer and Upazilla education officer to increase their visit and organise regular meetings .He also said that we have lack of staffs.

Dr. Delwar Hossain, Upazilla Health and Family Planning officer said, there is a School Health Education Program in Snadwip. There is a Union Family Planning Committee at UP. Only one female nurse has been working for 14 years but no gynecologist at the upazilla health complex. About 100 patients with reproductive and maternal health problems visit the hospital everyday. There are 27 community clinics and 3 health sub-centres. Each community clinic is provided with Tk. 85,000 and each sub-centre is provided with Tk. 2,00,000. There is a 20-bed hospital, Tk. 60,000 allocated per bed. Total allocation for the hospital is Tk. 30,00,000. Ultra-sonogram can be done only at a private diagnostic centre. There is an operation theatre at the hospital, but it is non-functional because there is no surgeon. Caesarean operation is not possible in Sandwip

After speech of guests the floor was open to raise question to the MP.  The questions were as follows:
“10/12 mothers dyes every year during labour due to lack of proper treatment in Sandwip. What kind of step can be taken to save those mothers?”
“Forteen doctors have posted in Sandwip but only 9 doctors are available twice in a week. What kind of step should be taken to ensure
 availabity of doctors?”
“To reduce maternal mortality rate, gynecologists, surgeons and nurses should be appointed at the upazilla level. Female doctors have to be appointed at community clinics. Presence of health workers at the health centre should be ensured. What kind of steps can take to ensure these facilities?

“At critical conditions, patients must be taken to the district hospital in Chittagong, which is a long way across the sea. Lack of communication is a big problem here. There is a speed boat as an ambulance, which is out of function. There are instances of mothers dying on the sea during labour while they were being carried to the district hospital.
“To connect with mainland we need steemer servicce in regular basis (every day) and it needs to be ensuring from Chittagong Sadar ghat. What steps has been taken for it?
After having the questions, honorable MP gave instruction to the Upazilla Health and Family Plannig Officer to do paper works to fill up the doctors’ quota for Sandwip.  He also requested the UNO and Health Officer to collect Tk. 60,000.00 to reconstruct the sea ambulance.
He said that he will request the Civil Surgon to appoint a Female Gynecologists in Sandwip Upazilla health complex.
About making the steemar sevice regular, he mentioned his effort by bring the issue in the parliament, parliamentary standing committee and in ministry.