FCAB has retained the services of Dr. Himika Khan Rupa, (MBBS Doctor and Medical Officer – North Bengal Medical College and Hospital) to provide weekly health screenings and services to patients every Wednesday from 9am-1pm. It also has a full time trained paramedic, Jannatul Ferdous, who screens patients before the doctor’s visits as well as provides follow up and preventative care and health counseling. FCAB has a small pharmacy where medicine for the most common ailments are dispensed. Patients are charged a nominal 10 taka per visit to create a sense of ownership in the clinic. Patients who cannot afford this fee are given absolutely free service. Unlike government sponsored community clinics, FCAB provides an MBBS doctor, full time paramedic and other public health and development services.
Challenges facing the clinic are ensuring adequate, reliable referral services and access to a basic pathology lab with common diagnostic services. There does not appear to be a need for a full time doctor right now though there are plans to provide routine pathology services at some point. FCAB also hopes to soon provide simply child delivery support services in its premises with the aid of a skilled birth attendant as its public health survey found that of the seven lactating mothers in the village right now, six delivered their babies without any medical or skilled birth attendant support and only one gave birth with a midwife present.