Vision Centre

In Bangladesh, the majority of the country’s population lives in rural areas, while the majority of health professionals work in urban centers. Retaining doctors in rural areas is a challenge in Bangladesh. A large number of people in Bangladesh, particularly in rural areas, remain with no or little access to health care facilities.

In order to increase access of the target people to basic healthcare services MATI has been running its healthcare program since the very beginning by organizing health camp, eye camp, dental camp at Huzurikanda, and other working areas.

Since the beginning of 2017, MATI has been supported by the Bridge Balingen Foundation Bangladesh in establishing a medical competence center at the Huzurikanda site. The work was started by setting up an optician training workshop. 5 young trainees learned the trade under the expert guidance of German senior opticians so that they can adjust glasses independently – at a price that even the poor can afford.

In addition, MATI’s work in the field of ophthalmology is also co-financed by the Balingen Bridge Foundation Bangladesh through screening examinations with diagnostics and subsequent drug treatment or operations at the Mymensingh Eye Hospital.

The MKZH, which has been functioning since August 2017 in the north of Bangladesh, District Sherpur, village Huzurikanda, serves as primary health care with a special focus on eye care with ophthalmology for the poor population of the region. MATI looks after the surrounding villages by providing health care support. Many of those working areas are difficult to access due to River Basin Island, therefore regular field health camp is organized through an outpatient field station.

A new building of 4 rooms for treatments and training at the MKZH is required for further development of medical staff. Inadequate rooms that meet international hygiene standards and to establish further training courses in medically relevant professions are planned. 15 trainees are trained per year after completion of the medical training center. MATI has had good experiences with training local staff. The eye paramedic who has been working at MATI in Huzurikanda since 2008, only as a general paramedic, who then received further training step by step in the field of ophthalmology. The 5 trainees who started training in the optician workshop in summer 2017 all come from the surrounding villages. The health workers in the basic health program have also worked at MATI for many years; in which they received permanent further training from German doctors and nurses.