Providing Community-Based Effective e-Health Services in Bangladesh: An Analysis on Sylhet Sadar Upazila

Abstract

E-Health is the new component of e-governance which can give cost-effective, efficient, less time-consuming services and a key strategy to meet people health related needs by using different electronic devices. The aim of this study is to identify the effectiveness of e-health services provided by community clinics situated in Sylhet sadar upazila and also discover the major challenges faced by community clinics to provide e-health services. In order to explain and exploring the effectiveness of e-health services provided by Community Clinics social survey method has been used in this study. E-health initiative through community clinics are creating a great opportunity for the rural backward people to access primary treatment and helping them to connect with specialized doctors using electronic devices. For these purpose laptops, modems and others electronic devices are provided in every community clinic but the majority of service providers said the standards of these are not satisfactory. Service receivers (68.00%) said there has a limited access to consult with specialized doctors in their CC’s means telemedicine facilities are not available. Inadequate ICT infrastructure, insufficient training program and other instruments create difficulty in terms of ensuring safe and effective health services in rural area. The government should provide sufficient training facility for the service providers, ensure sound development of ICT infrastructures and arrange different program to inform the public about the available facilities of community clinics can create a more effectual system of health care service delivery.