Promotion of Universal Safe Motherhood (PUSM)


Project Period: 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015

Project Background

Pidim along with two other Partners- Hamari and Ananda embarked on Promotion of Universal Safe Motherhood (PUSM) project in three Upazilas of Khagrachari district in CHT in October 2012 under a partnership agreement signed by them. Among the Upazilas are Ramgor, Manikchari and Dighinala. The aim of the project is to reduce mother and child mortality rate in the remote hilly land of CHT where no government health services are available. The rugged terrain and hazardous road communication prevent people from getting health services from government hospitals and clinics. Three delays- the delay in decision making, the delay in reaching and the delay in getting, contribute to such a high rate of mother and child mortality in the area. The first and second delay are associated with people failing to read danger signs in pregnancy and transporting women with obstetric complication to government hospital in time. On the other hand the third delay is caused when patients fail to get emergency medical treatment even after arrival at hospital. The delay factors cause untold suffering to mother and children often putting their life at risk. Addressing the problem Pidim with its partner-NGOs set up health delivery systems in 227 hamlets connecting local community to government hospitals and clinics. The total number of households covered under the project was over 10 thousand. There are 90 (PHW) Para Health Workers engaged in delivering routine ANC and PNC in those hamlets. They were recruited locally from among young women with VIII to X grade education. Project set up 9 Base clinics in three upazila to develop an effective referral system with government hospital. Base Clinic is located in the target areas alongside rural road connecting Upazila and district head quarters. BC is jointly run by a Paramedic and a Nurse under the supervision of a committee called BCC (Base Clinic Committee) headed by a chairperson.