On Sunday (December 20) at 10:30 a.m., an exchange of views was held on improving the quality of service at Netrakona 250-bed Sadar Hospital. District Health Rights Forum’s members and youth forum members the representative of different health service-providing institutions and recent service receivers have participated.

A unique example of public participation and accountability at the local level in health care, is where the service users directly questioned the superintendent of the district's 250-bed hospital.
One of the initiatives to improve the interrelationship and accountability of officials and other service providers working in Netrakona 250 bedded district hospital is the joint meeting of healthcare providers and service users. The hospital authorities promised to take various steps to improve the health care of the district hospital while facing the beneficiaries.

District Health Rights Forum President Prof. Matindra Sarkar chaired and moderated by Imran at the beginning of the meeting presented the hospital services and service delivery process and hospital management at a glance, Resident Medical Officer Dr Asaduzzaman. He said, now regular ultrasonogram and pathology tests are being done in the hospital. Maternal mortality and infant mortality rate are now very low. In his welcome speech, Bangladesh Health Watch program manager Rajesh Adhikari thanked District Health Rights Forum and hospital authorities for organizing such an event and described the goals and objectives of Bangladesh Health Watch.

The service users present in the district hospital expressed their expectations, satisfaction, and complaints in an open discussion.

At 11 o’clock the speech of the president district health rights forum, the program has been inaugurated. Then a chief gust of the program Dr Md. Mahabubur Rahman Superintendent of District Hospital Netrokona has given his welcome speech. 
 Dr. Abu Sufian has given a brief presentation on hospital service over the last three months. Mr. Rajesh Adhikari Program Coordinator of Bangladesh health Watch has facilitated open discussion and Dr. Shifat has given a brief presentation on conducted Client Feedback Study. 

In the open question-answer session, different issues were raised by the service receivers. In that part, Mrs. Alpona Akter, Shomoy TV representative asked how the hospital authority monitors the illegal activities of brokers. Against her question, Dr. Md. Mahabubur Rahman Superintendent of District Hospital said that he has circulated a notice among the staff to find out brokers in the hospital campus and he has requested the civil society to provide him with the list of brokers. 
Mr. Abdul Hai asked the radiologist is not available all the time, against the query Dr. Md. Mahabubur Rahman said that they have only one staff of radiology so it’s very rational that he may take leave which interrupts the service. 
DHRF member Md. Saifullah Emran asked that the hospital has no eye specialist doctor. Against his question Md. Mahbubur Rahman said that it’s a national phenomenon the crisis of eye specialists. But they are continuously demanding an eye specialist doctor for the hospital. 

DHRYF member Partho Sarker asked that is it possible to arrange a separate ticket counter for senior citizens, disabled persons and pregnant women so that they can get the service in quickly. 
Dr. Md. Mahabubur Rahman appreciated the proposal and promised that soon he will take initiative to arrange a separate ticket counter for senior citizens, persons with a disability and pregnant women. Shomoy TV representative Mrs. Alpona Akter has asked how the hospital authority monitors the illegal activities of brokers. Against her question, Dr. Md. Mahabubur Rahman Superintendent of District Hospital said that he has circulated a notice among the staff to find out brokers in the hospital campus and he has requested the District Health Rights Forum to provide him with the list of brokers

After the question-answer, part the chief guest has given his speech and the president of DHRF ended the program by thanking and wishing sound health to all.