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BANGLADESH FRONTLINE HEALTH WORKER JOYSNA
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Resource ID
70537
Access
Open
Consent form provided?
Yes
Region
South-East Asia
Image size
373x280
Country
Bangladesh
Theme
Humanitarian response, Sexual reproductive and maternal health, Health
Keywords
Health Worker
Credit
© Tapash Paul/CARE
Copyright
© Tapash Paul/CARE
Date Image Taken
15 May 20
Caption
***LOW RESOLUTION IMAGES> SUITABLE FOR SOCIAL AND ONLINE***
Three-hundred skilled health entrepreneurs (SHEs) are continuing to serve pregnant women and children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sunamganj, Bangladesh.
Joysna is one an SHE working in Sunamganj. She continues to do her job, even though she is scared of contracting COVID-19.
“In my outreach visits to pregnant women and other clients, a sense of fear and anxiety comes to my mind as I aware of the consequences of COVID-19. However, my hard-working nature and the importance of my role in the community encourages me to move and continue my work.”
The first COVID-19 patient died in an adjacent village in the second week of April 2020 which led to panic in the area she serves. A lockdown was instituted after that death, applying to the entire sub district.
After that, Joysna started to receive some resistance from those in her family and in the community, who felt that Joysna’s work and movements put them at risk.
One night on the last week of April, Joysna received a call from a pregnant woman who was going into labor. She was in a remote village called Noagoan, far away (6 km) from Joysna’s house. The pregnant woman’s family relentlessly called her because they were unable to get support from anyone else. Because of the lockdown and her inability to access transportation, Joysna took the history of the pregnant woman over phone and counselled the family remotely.
In the morning, Joysna went to Noagoan and reached the village at 6am. She found the pregnant woman very weak and with low blood pressure. She provided support during the delivery and the baby was born safely and successfully.
“I know there is a risk [I will contract COVID-19] but I take personal safety measures like wearing a mask, gloves, an apron, and using sanitizer,” said Joysna. “Risk of infection, difficulty getting transportation, and non-cooperation from my community didn’t stop me from serving that woman that day. I felt very happy to see the gratefulness of pregnant woman and her family.”
“Since COVID-19 emerged in Bangladesh in March 2020, I have continued providing sexual and reproductive health services, taking measures to protect myself. However, due to low mobility in the community, my income has reduced to a great extent, as people do not have money, and many have become jobless due to the lockdown.”
In her role, Joysna helps with risk communication and community engagement, telling people in the community about COVID-19 and how to protect themselves and their families.
Local government officials and people in the community have expressed their gratitude, telling her that “Joysna you are doing a good job. Many public doctors are reluctant to provide services due to the pandemic, and we do not have any other option in this remote location to get safe and quality services.”
Q&A
How has the COVID pandemic affected you and your work? How has it affected your neighbors, family, and community?
While conducting outreach to serve pregnant women and other clients, I feel a sense of fear and anxiety as I am aware of the consequence of COVID-19. But taking into account of my role and responsibility to the community, I feel compelled to continue my work. Early in April 2020 when a person died of coronavirus in the next village, panic and stigma pervaded the Laxmipur union under Dowarabazar of Sunamganj. The entire sub-district has been in lockdown since then. Resistance started coming from my family members and people in the community people that it was not safe for them as I moved around, attending delivery calls and providing other maternal and child health services. My income is reduced to half as other people do not have income, and transportation costs have become higher and scarcer due to the lockdown.
Do you worry about contracting COVID?
Yes, I am a bit worried because COVID is so contagious, but people in the community say they have no alternative (for health services) except me. I take safety measures as much as possible with whatever PPE I have on hand – a mask, gloves, sanitizer and apron. The supply of gloves and masks are not regular, though. Also, transportation is a big problem and expensive as well, but the family members who receive my services show gratefulness, and that is my gratification as humanitarian response. I know I am to suffer a lot if I get sick but I am dedicated.
Do you have access to the personal protective equipment (PPE) you need? Is there anything you need to do your job well that you do not currently have? If yes – explain.
Yes, I have somewhat irregular access to PPE but I need a full set of PPE and regular supply of gloves, mask, sanitizer, gown, and essential drugs to provide good quality services.
Has anything changed about how sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services are being provided where you are because of COVID? If no – do you think anything will have to change eventually? What do you need to make sure these services continue?
Since COVID-19 emerged in Bangladesh from March 2020, I continued sexual and reproductive health services, taking all possible personal protective measures. Due to low mobility in my community, in most cases I try to give these services through over phone.
What do you want others to know/understand about COVID? What do you want people to understand about your job?
With my role, I am engaged in risk communication and community engagement for COVID-19. I want people to understand the importance of my work as there is lockdown with lack of transport and services providers in the facilities, we do not have any other option in this remote location for safe and quality services.
Do people in your community know about COVID and how to protect themselves from it?
Initially, most of the people did not know about COVID. In the last couple of weeks, I disseminated messages and information to people in the community to raise awareness of COVID-19. I tried to provide counselling services about the outbreak. Initially they put resistance on my movement, but the families who are receiving services from me are increasing my recognition and acceptance.
What are community members doing to help fight COVID or to prevent its spread?
As a result of message dissemination on COVID, the local government and community members are trying to create awareness on good behaviors like hand washing, maintain social distancing, and cooperating with the local health system.
Do you think your experience working and living during this pandemic has been different than your male colleagues? Are you facing any extra challenges to doing your job because you are a woman?
I am facing resistance from my community and family, lack of transport to and from the facility, and moving at night for delivery calls also in the community is extra challenging.
In your community/facility, are women involved in decision-making around the COVID response? (If yes – how?)
As a service provider, I am providing SRH services and female officials in the local government are engaged in distribution of safety commodities to people in need amid the coronavirus crisis.
Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? Where/when did you get your medical training? How long have you been doing this work?
I am Joysna Begum and I am 31, living with my husband and three children at Laxmipur village of Dowarabazar sub-district. I received training to be a private community skilled birth attendant in 2014, before this I was merely a housewife living off of my husband’s poor income. My husband is Md. Manirul Islam, an electrician with a small shop at the local market. With my income, I can contribute to my family financially, and I am able to make decisions about many things in my family.
What is the hardest thing about your job/biggest challenge?
The hardest thing about my job is moving around the difficult geography, also late-night deliveries. My biggest challenge is competition with non-formal/traditional providers, finding an adequate supply of essential medicines, etc.
Marker lat / long: 24, 90 (WGS84)