Minu Hasda- a sparkling example of integrated community support
It is true that as a result of the traditional development approach, poor, village people, minor ethnic group as well as women are always deprived of all types of opportunities and rights due to marginalized status in society. In that sense, Minu Hasda is the poorest of the poor women of the ethnic minority. She lives with her day lobor husband Paolus Tudu in Bazarpur village of Amarpur union in Chirirbandar upazila in the northern poverty stricken area in Bangladesh. Her family is of a hand to mouth economic status. Sometimes they pass days without taking any meal for lack of any income due to unemployment. They have a two years daughter.
The family maintains superstitions like children are the gift of god and nothing to do against it, herbal treatment is better than modern day medical treatment, additional food and regular check up are unnecessary during the pregnancy period. So they do not use any family planning method, as a result Minu Hasda became pregnant one after another. She did all of the household works during the danger situation and she did not take any essential dietary supplementation at that stage even she did not take any health check up. As a result, her health situation deteriorated quickly and an abortion took place after six months. But she became pregnant again after two months.
She took various traditional method and herbal medicine from village doctor under pressure of her husband and family. As a result, she turned to a case of severe anemia. In that situation, Ayasha Khatun, a paramedic of ERHSA project observed her for the first time and took Minus Hasda to Burihat Community Clinic (CC) for check up and then involved the PNGO (UDDOG), HWC, and Union Parishad for necessary support. After checked up, she was referred to Chirirbandar Upazila Health Complex. It is to be mentioned here that when she was passing 28 (twenty eight) weeks, she was in a danger situation due to severe anemia and they referred her to Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital for better treatment. Blood was her crying need. UDDOG staffs, Harun ar Rashid - a HWC member and Md Shahidul Islam, Secretary of Amarpur UP donated 4 bags of blood for her purpose.
Doctor Munni Begum of Dinajpur Medical College considered caesarian operation as a must for the wellbeing of mother and child safety within seven days. Her health situation improved after completion of all preparations. She gave birth to a male child of 2 kg weight all on a sudden on 18.11.2012. Mother and the neonate returned home after 16 days with a smiling face and fulfillment of satisfaction. She is committed to immunize her baby properly. She and her husband thanked a lot to HWC, Amarpur UP Chairmen Liakat Ali Sah, Uddog and VERC for standing beside her in the critical situation. She also told that it was really impossible on her as well as her baby’s part to survive in absence of heartiest cooperation of all around.