Photo : BSS

By Md Mamun Islam

 GOBINDAGANJ, Gaibandha, May 27, 2025 (BSS) - The Sapmara Union Health and Family Welfare Center (UHFWC) has celebrated the milestone of performing the 600th safe delivery of mothers, mostly from backward ethnic communities, by last February.
 
To mark this milestone, the Sapmara UHFWC Management Committee, with the support of Gaibandha District Department of Family Planning (DFP), organized the '600th Safe Childbirth Celebration' event at their premises in Gobindaganj upazila on Tuesday.
 
The Directorate General of Health Services and the Directorate General of Family Planning, UNFPA and LAMB provided technical assistance in organizing this event.
 
Deputy Director of the Gaibandha DFP Md Tariqul Islam attended the function as the chief guest with Gobindaganj Upazila Family Planning Officer Md Abdul Jalil in the chair.
 
Assistant Director of the Gaibandha DFP Mahbuba Khatun, Program Analyst of UNFPA Bangladesh Md Shamsuzzaman, Resident Medical Officer at Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex Dr Farhad Al Asad and UNFPA Field Officer Dr Shahin Akhter were present as special guests.
 
Project Manager of the Santal Health Project of LAMB Mahatab Liton delivered the welcome speech narrating the laudable success achieved by Sapmara UHFWC.
 
He said the hard work, dedicated service, and social commitment of three young Santal midwives from July, 2020, have made it possible to achieve the milestone success.
 
The three dedicated Santal midwives are Nipa Soren, 29, and Minoti Murmu, 28, of Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha and Silvia Mardy, 28, of Panchbibi upazila in Joypurhat districts.
 
"They joined Sapmara UHFWC in 2020 under the UK government-funded 'Santal Health Project' implemented by LAMB with support from UNFPA and Directorate General of Family Planning to improve SRHR services among the Santal community," he said.
 
They are providing sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC) to women, pregnant mothers and reproductive healthcare to underprivileged women and adolescents from backward communities.
 
Midwives Nipa and Silvia successfully conducted the 600th normal vaginal delivery of Nujaima Begum, 18, wife of Ranju of village Samara at Sapmara UHFWC on February 26 last at 9:10 am.
 
"Nujaima delivered a healthy female baby weighing 2.255 kg," Mahatab added.
 
Sharing her experience, Nujaima said, "It was my first pregnancy. I got three-time checkups during my pregnancy. I am grateful to midwives Minoti, Nipa and Silvia for their selfless services, support and care extended to me like my own sisters."

At the celebration, the chief guest presented the awards to Nujaima and her newborn daughter, amidst applause of congratulations from the audience.
 
Besides, community health workers of Gobindaganj Upazila Health and Family Planning Centre Sabina Hembrom and Aduri Hasda were awarded for bringing 117 pregnant mothers to the Sapmara UHFWC and conducting 84 normal deliveries respectively.
 
Md Shamsuzzaman appreciated the Santal midwives for setting up a unique example by providing reproductive health care and completing normal deliveries to 600 mothers, and even more, from disadvantaged and backward ethnic communities.
 
Md Tariqul Islam said a revolutionary change has taken place through ensuring safe childbirth among the previously superstitious backward communities, reducing maternal and neonatal mortality to zero in the whole area.
 
Talking to BSS, the three Santal midwives said they were inspired to choose midwifery as their profession from childhood after never seeing any trained birth attendants during deliveries of pregnant mothers in their superstition-gripped community.
 
"After beginning to work at Sapmara UHFWC, we saw how attitudes of the Santal community people have begun to shift and improve. Every time a pregnant mother is satisfied with all services they receive here," said midwife Nipa.
 
Midwife Silvia said, "In the community, we tell people that all services we provide to make women's lives better, safer and healthier are free, which encourages them to come to the UHFWC for safe deliveries, ANC and PNC services."