Chittagong, 01 June 2010: The Honourable State Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Capt. (Retd.) Mozibur Rahman Fakir today inaugurated the first Public-Privately run Primary Health Care Centre in Western Marine Shipyard located in Kolagaon union no.4 under Patiya upazila at Chittagong. The Centre, constructed by Western Marine Shipyard is run in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, who provide core staff and services in order to provide quality healthcare to the surrounding community.
In inaugurating the health centre the State Minister said ‘we have dreamt of a better and a self reliant Bangladesh, and Western Marine is turning these into reality’. Furthermore he added that the centre will ‘provide quality healthcare services for the surrounding community, and will be regarded as a unique asset for others to follow.’
Healthcare is a constitutional right of the citizens of Bangladesh, and this government is determined to fill 32,000 vacant posts in the health care sector inorder to fulfill our election pledges; these posts will be filled in the next few months’
Professor Shah Monir Hossain, DG, DGHS, in his speech assured that all necessary help will be given to Western Marine in order to develop the health care centre as one of the best community clinics in the country.
Special Guest, Mr. Hans Hinrich Schnelle, First Secretary, Development Cooperation, German Embassy in Dhaka, commented that ‘Germany has been Bangladesh’s consistent friend for over 40 years, and was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh’s independence following the liberation war’ ‘Health is one of the four areas in which Germany is providing the private sector the necessary support to improve the much needed facilities and infrastructure’
Present amongst others were the MP of Patiya, Mr Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury, who assured the state minister that Western Marine would continue their CSR efforts for the local community and will do everything to secure govt help for turning it into a model community Health Care Centre.
Managing Director of Western Marine Shipyard, Mr. Sakhawat Hossain in his address stated that “Healthy workers are productive workers”, the realization of which prompted him to sign a PPP agreement with GTZ last year.
The healthcare centre is one part of a Public Private Partnership between Western Marine Shipyard, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)), and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoB. The partnership works to provide effective health services to the workforce of the shipyard and surrounding community, and to develop benchmarks for health and safety in shipbuilding in Bangladesh, one of the country’s most rapidly developing industrial sectors. The centre was constructed by Western Marine Shipyard, with guidance and support from GTZ, who have worked with the shipyard and MOHFW to develop the joint model of service provision, and ensure the communities’ needs are met.
The healthcare centre provides Primary Healthcare to the 2500 strong workforce, and the surrounding community of approx 26,000. Full primary healthcare services, including Antenatal / Postnatal care, and family planning services will be available, and the centre will be staffed by a part time doctor/staffs from the DGHS including a full time doctor and several experienced medical assistants from the shipyard side.
