ASTHA successfully organised a day-long divisional workshop in Sylhet

The workshop was attended by officials from offices of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Directorate General of Family Planning at the district level, Community Paramedic Training Institutes (CPTIs), and various staff members from Swisscontact's ASTHA project.

Senior Advisor- Government Relations and Healthcare Services, ASTHA welcomed all the respected participants, and the Senior Manager- Interventions Portfolio, ASTHA discussed the activities of the project's third phase and highlighted the government policies related to the course curriculum and interventions.

Dr. Shariful Hasan, Divisional Director (Health), Sylhet Division, emphasised the need for expanding the presence of Community Paramedics (CPs) in rural clinics as Community Health Care Providers (CHCPs).  He stated, ‘It is crucial to recruit CPs in clinics in rural areas where there is a shortage of trained doctors and provide them with proper authorisation.’ He also highlighted the significance of CPs in rural and remote areas and stated that the CPs are the solution to curb the situation of unskilled healthcare providers in these regions.

Md. Kutub Uddin, Divisional Director (Joint Secretary), Family Planning, Sylhet Division, appreciated the role of CPs in improving healthcare services and complying with the vision of attaining a Smart Bangladesh and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In the open discussion, the Deputy Civil Surgeon of Sylhet District, Dr. Janmejoy Datta, praised the activities of CPs during the recently disastrous flood situation. He commended their certification and licensing standards for maintaining quality healthcare service delivery.