Dilapidated community clinic runs from rented house in Naogaon

NAOGAON, Aug 15: A community clinic in Raninagar Upazila of Naogaon has been operating from a rented house for about a year and a half as its own building has become too dilapidated to safely provide healthcare services.

The Khagra Community Clinic building has developed large cracks in several places, with plaster falling off, bricks exposed and parts of the lower structure damaged. A section of the wall has also collapsed, leaving a large hole.

Unable to operate from the unsafe building, the clinic has been providing services from a house rented from a local resident, Sefat Hossain, for the past one and a half years.

Local residents said the clinic was once an important source of primary healthcare, particularly for women, children and elderly people. But prolonged neglect and lack of maintenance have left the building unusable.

Residents Sagar and Morsheda, among others, said people now face difficulties accessing healthcare as services are being provided from a temporary location. They urged the authorities to renovate or rebuild the clinic quickly.

Community Health Care Provider Shahidul said he had been working at the clinic for about a year and a half and confirmed that services were being provided from a rented house. However, he said he did not know how much rent was being paid.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr KH M Iftekharul Alam Khan confirmed that the clinic was operating from a rented house.

“The clinic has been listed for reconstruction. There are seven community clinics in the upazila that require reconstruction, and Khagra is at the top of the list,” he said.

He added that reconstruction work on the clinic is expected to begin during the current fiscal year.