The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque said here on Friday the government would reintroduce community clinics aiming at ensuring medical treatment facilities for the rural poor.

Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion and cultural function on the occasion of the birth registration day on July 3, the Minister said the reopening of the community clinics is a challenge for the government as the immediate past alliance government closed those.

About 10,800 clinics are now being repaired and every 6,000 people will get medical treatment facilities from a clinic in the rural area, the minister said.

The meeting was held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the morning with additional secretary of the Local Government Division Manjur Hossain in the chair.

The Birth and Death Registration Project under the Local Government Division has organised the programme with the assistance of the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Advisor to the Prime Minister Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali and State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak also attended the function as the special guests.

During the rule of the Awami League government in 1996, the minister said about 10,800 community clinics were established for the rural poor, but the BNP-Jamaat alliance government cancelled the project and turned the clinics into 'the goat development project'.

Ruhal Haque, however, stressed the need for creating awareness among the people to register births and deaths by June 30 in 2010 free of cost up to 18 years of age and Taka 50 for more than the age of 18.

Although the government has enacted 'the Birth and Death Registration Act' in 2004 and implemented the act in 2006, but till March 2009, more than 45 per cent of the total population remains out of the registration coverage, said the state minister for LGRD in his address.

Immunisation, schooling and protection are some of the key states and social rights that a child can secure through the birth registration, representative of UNICEF in Bangladesh Mr Carel de Rooy said adding that it can, in fact, protect a child from early marriage, exploitation, trafficking and hazardous labour.

Project director on the birth and death registration project AKM Saiful Islam Chowdhury gave the welcome address.

A colourful rally led by the State Minister for LGRD was brought out from Nagar Bhaban that ended at Jatiya Press Club after paraded different city streets.