Across Bangladesh, many impoverished communities face a precarious existence in crowded environments, making them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Many Bangladeshis live in densely populated urban and slum areas and are stuck in cramped, squalid shelters, with up to 10 family members to a room. For Bangladesh, COVID-19 is a humanitarian crisis with a public health dimension. If large-scale physical distancing is required, we must find ways to mitigate the economic shock that will bring the majority of the country into food insecurity within weeks. The urban poor, who live off their daily wages, will have to skip meals.

 

In this crisis situation Bangladesh Health Watch (BHW) organized a stocktaking and brainstorming virtual meeting on 14 May 2020 at 11.00 am with selected NGOs working in the health sector on the following objectives:

• Gather examples of interventions NGOs have undertaken so far and share lessons learned
• To share evidence and knowledge gathered through different research and studies
• To identify major gaps in the Covid response and brainstorm ideas of what more could be done by NGOs.

 

The meeting moderated by Dr. Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury, Convener, BHW. At the onset, the moderator welcomed the participants and requested to share in brief about their experiences and recommendation how NGOs can work inclusively to combat this pandemic.

 

Brief Discussion of the meeting: At the beginning BHW Working Group Member Dr. AJ Faisel said, though NGOs were involved to combat every crisis in Bangladesh but this time this is not much visible. He said, WHO emphasized on community participation in risk mitigation but role of NGOs who have good networks with community are not active during this pandemic. He requested all to discuss how NGOs get involved with the ongoing initiatives unitedly to combat the covid19 pandemic.

Coordinated efforts of Government and NGOs are observed at district level: Government and NGOs are working jointly to combat the corona pandemic at district level. Representatives of RDRS, Rangpur, GUK, Gaibandha, AVAS and Saint - Bangladesh, Barishal said that at their working districts they are incorporated within the district coordination committee. NGOs are working on the initiatives at district level are awareness raising activities, distributing of PPE and other protective gears, setting hand washing points, providing vehicle support to doctors, assisting in sample collection etc.

The NGOs emphasized that relief should be distributed through NGOs to ensure transparency and proper distribution. Though they wanted to work more but not getting sufficient funds from donor. At the same time in Barishal government asked NGOs to handover all of their funds to district administration, which was not welcomed by NGOs as they want to work independently for their beneficiaries and community at large.

NGOs are continuing their health services: Representatives of Marie Stopes Bangladesh, DSK, CWFD and GK said that though people are not getting regular medical services from different hospitals but NGOs lead clinics and health services are still going on and providing services to their clients and beneficiaries. The country director of Marie Stopes Bangladesh said they are facing a collateral damage due to low client turn-out at their clinics. Besides at Dhaka slum areas DSK is operating their activities at Rohynga camp also. Dhaka Ahsania Mission provided training to the health professionals, assisted sample collection and provided online health services.

BRAC representative said that they installed sample collection booths with the assistance of different government hospitals and City Corporation of Dhaka. BRAC also recruited and trained technicians to collect sample at these booths. Besides the booths BRAC health workers are actively working at village level.

NGOs expect that rapid testing kit of Gono Shasthaya Kendra will get government approval and if got approval they are interested to use it for mass screening.

 

NGOs are not visible at national level: Most of the NGO representatives said that at national level NGO’s presence is not much visible in response to this pandemic. Though few NGOs have the opportunity to support GOB initiatives at district level and are included at government led district coordination committee but at national level this is quite absent.

DORP representative said though NGOs worked with government in every disaster but this is missing this time. ADAB representative requested to BHW to do advocacy with government to involve NGOs at different front to fight against covid-19. BRAC representative mentioned that if NGOs work with government then health connectivity, livelihood support and testing roll out will be easy even at the hard to reach areas. GK, Naripokho and FNB representatives emphasized on coordinated measures of NGOs at national level.

 

Summary of the meeting:

1. Good coordination observed among NGOs and government at district level (especially Rangpur and Barishal divison)
2. NGOs coordination at national level is missing but this is very important
3. BHW can communicate with government to involve NGOs within government initiatives
4. More test should be rolled out even at community level
5. Government should involve NGOs for health connectivity, livelihood activities and sample collection considering their expertise and engagement
6. A position paper can be developed to highlight what is going on and what else could be done for a more robust response to the crisis
7. Local/district level NGO initiatives and coordination with government should be documented and shared with all.

 

At the end moderator said all of findings and recommendations will be discussed at BHW Working Group meeting and inform every participants if we take any further initiatives accordingly. The moderator concluded the meeting by giving thanks to all for their active participation and valuable comments.

 

Participants of the meeting:

Sl #	Name	Organization
1.	Md Akramul Islam	BRAC
2.	Sayed Rubayet	iPas
3.	Sanwarul Hoque Khan	Concerned Women for family Development
4.	Masrurul Islam	Marie Stopes Bangladesh
5.	Md. Khairul Islam	Water Aid and BHW-WG
6.	Mahbubul Alam	PSTC
7.	Dibalok Singha	DSK
8.	Kamrun Nahar	Nari Pokkho
9.	Iqbal Masud	Ahsania Mission
10.	Toslim Uddin Khan	SMC
11.	AK Shafiqur Rahman	BCCP
12.	Manzur kadir Ahmed	Gono Shasthaya Kendra (GK),
13.	A K M Rezaul Haque
14.	Mohammad Abdus Sabur	Ad-din Foundation
15.	AHM Nouman	DORP
16.	Sanjida Islam	UPHCSDP
17.	Shashanka Boron Roy	SUJON/ The Hunger Project
18.	Mohammad Abdur Rahman	RDRS, Rangpur
19.	Sirajul Islam	AVAS, Barishal
20.	Kazi Jahangir Kabir	Saint-Bangladesh, Barishal
21.	M. Abdus Salam	GUK, Gaibandha
22.	Abtab Hossain
23.	Kazi Moksedur Rahman	Shimantik, Sylhet
24.	Md. Rafiqul Islam	FNB
25.	AKM Jashim Uddin	ADAB
26.	Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury	BHW-WG
27.	A M Zakir  Hussain	BHW-WG
28.	AJ Faisel	BHW-WG
29.	Rumana Huque	BHW-WG
30.	Syed Masud Ahmed	BHW-WG
31.	Samia Afrin	BHW-WG
32.	Yasmin Ahmed	BHW
33.	Shaikh Masudul Alam	BHW
34.	Md. Mofakker Morshed Khan Chowdhury	BHW
35.	Mahruba Khanam	BHW