Young women from the city’s slums are being trained as Bedside Assistants under an outreach programme designed by the A K Khan Healthcare Trust. About 20 women, aged between 18 and 35, having formal education up to the SSC level, from the Karail slum near the posh Gulshan area are undergoing the training with audio-visual equipment for the first time in the country.
They are learning basic healthcare that would help them earn a living. The unique programme has been sponsored by the A K Khan Healthcare Trust (AKKHT).
A K Khan Healthcare Trust has taken up an initiative to set up a hospital and a nursing college in Chittagong to contribute to the country’s healthcare.
It is also running a crucial project at the Karail slum where 2 to 3 lac people are staying.
AKKHT is screening and treating around 100 women every week at the slum for free of cost.
This programme has two major components—Cervical Cancer Screening, Early Detection, Treatment and Awareness Programme, as well as, Breast Cancer, Oral Cancer and other Non-communicable disease Screening, Early Detection and Awareness Programme.
Although Bangladesh has at least 20 to 30 lakh cancer patients, there is no cancer registry in the country. Also, most of these patients get diagnosed at a very late stage.
Poor women suffer from cervical cancer, due to early marriage, early child birth, Human Papilloma Virus, as well as, certain other factors.
According to experts, 2-3 lakh new cancer cases are detected every year. They added that breast cancer and cervical cancer lead to most cancer-related deaths among women in Bangladesh.
Experts said that cervical cancer is mostly preventable through HPV vaccine. But, as the vaccine is prohibitively expensive cervical cancer can be easily treated, if diagnosed early (ie. patient can be cured).
The expert also said that during the initial several years cervical cancer stays in what is medically referred to as ‘precancerous state or CIN’. Using VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) and colposcopy, patients can be diagnosed in this early stage, and can be cured using simple procedures.
Mahbubul Alam, editor of The Independent, visited the AKKHT-run programmes on Monday morning, at Karail slum, and lauded the initiatives taken by the trust, after reviewing the activities under the project.
Mahbubul Alam noted that, in general, women are vulnerable to breast and cervical cancers. He said that lack of early detection often causes unfortunate deaths. Referring to the notable initiatives taken by AKKHT, he pointed out that the organisation is offering excellent and efficient services that are bound to leave a positive impact on the development of poor people’s healthcare. AK Shamsuddin Khan, chairman of the AKKHT, expressed hope that other voluntary organisations could cooperate with the government, to extend healthcare services to the poor.
Samanzar Khan, CEO of the trust, emphasised on the need to empower these women through different skill development programmes, such as, the Bedside Assistant Programme, so that young women can find jobs and can think of a life outside the slums.
Tanvir Raquib, executive director of AKKHT, described the project as a whole. Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard Medical School is collaborating with the trust, to develop local clinical skills, for this service. The trust is also in the process of signing an agreement with BIRDEM, to expand the scope of this programme, as an outpatient service, through many of its hospitals in Bangladesh.
Dr Mithila Farooque, principal investigator of the programme and Syeda Mahboba Mansoor, programme coordinator, said that, in Phase 1, the trust wants to screen 15,000 to 20,000 young women, who currently live in the slums. A team of young doctors and nurses are dedicating their time, to provide a unique and essential service, targeting one of the most vulnerable segments of Bangladesh’s population.
-With The Independent input
