Mohammadpur: Mohammadpur Fertility Services and Training Centre (MFSTC), located on Aurangzeb Road in the capital, has become a blessing for poor women as they receive healthcare, especially delivery services, free of cost.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, patients only need to pay Taka 10 for hospital admission. There are no additional costs for any health services, including caesarean deliveries, which typically cost between Taka 30,000-60,000 at other hospitals in Dhaka. The hospital offers a 24-hour ambulance service, pharmacy, central oxygen supply, blood bank, and social welfare department. It comprises 37 fully furnished rooms, including eight VIP cabins, equipped with modern facilities and food arrangements.
Established in 1974 with assistance from the ‘Pathfinder Fund’, MFSTC was designed to provide integrated family planning services under one roof. It was the first center of its kind in Bangladesh. The center pioneered the MR service in the country and has since matured in providing these services. It also offers Post Abortion Care (PAC) services, addressing all MR/abortion-related complications. A significant 80 percent of the clients are from lower and middle-income brackets, highlighting its popularity and the quality of counseling, record keeping, and follow-up services provided.
In response to the local demand, the government upgraded MFSTC to a 100-bed Mother and Child Health Hospital. Since October 10, 2010, the hospital has provided normal delivery services and caesarean sections alongside existing services. It includes 72 beds for the Obstetric Department and 28 beds for Neonate and Children.
The center also offers fertility services to patients experiencing infertility, initially providing basic treatments. The institute aims to improve the health and nutritional status of mothers and children and achieve family planning targets in Bangladesh.
Dr. Muniruzzaman Siddiqui, former director of MFSTC, expressed their goal to make the institution a national role model by offering comprehensive health services to mothers. “We take all necessary steps for a pregnant woman. Our doctors have been instructed to prioritize normal delivery. Due to our dedicated services, our reputation is growing in the capital, and the number of patients is increasing daily,” he stated.
The hospital provides various essential services, including birth control injections, implant and IUD insertion/removal, male and female sterilization, USG and hysteroscopy guided procedures, ante-natal care, immunization, adolescent reproductive healthcare, RTI and STI services, VIA, breast cancer screening, and management of referral cases.
Rabeya Khatun, a recent mother at MFSTC, shared her satisfaction with the care received. “I am very pleased with the service at MFSTC. All doctors and nurses, including the director, were cordial. Thanks to their good behavior and services, my baby saw the light of the world. I am so grateful to them,” she said.
Dr. Maksuda Begum of MFSTC highlighted the hospital’s reputation for attracting people from all walks of life, including rich and high society women, due to its outstanding free services. She noted the recent introduction of a pain relief delivery system, with 2-3 babies delivered daily through this method.