Research Clinics

AIDD has access to a number of health care facilities in Bangladesh including hospitals and clinics. There are arrangements in place with the affiliated health facilities for providing access and all kinds of support in order to carry out medical research. Additionally, programs such as eye camps and epilepsy camps that are organized with collaborating partners such as CSF Global also provide opportunities for medical research.

A list of the affiliated health facilities along with information about their resources can be found here.

CSF Shishu Shorgo (Children’s Heaven) Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Centres, Sirajgang

The Shishu Shorgo (Children’s Heaven) Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Centres are staffed by trained physiotherapist and community therapists to provide early-intervention services to children with physical impairments. Currently four (04) Shishu Shorgo Centres are operational at Khanzandear, Jamirta and Sreefoltola, in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj, Bangladesh. In collaboration with other partners, CSF has developed a manual to assist the personnel running this transition program for children with disabilities and their families living in Shahjadpur. The goal of the transition program (intervention) is to increase the child’s participation in their family, school, and community.

Our experience has found that children with disabilities in remote areas of Bangladesh are often excluded from schools and access to medical, support and therapy services are extremely limited. The goals and structure of the transition program were based upon a needs analysis conducted in April 2013 with children with disabilities and families living in Shahjadpur. Parents and their children with disabilities expressed the need for the early intervention centres to provide therapy to help their child communicate, mobilise, and care for themselves e.g. feed themselves, and as a place for their child to play with other children

The early intervention program involves daily activities (Sunday – Thursday) for 2 to 3 hours per day held at the centre rather than their homes, which parents can also attend and assist as much as possible. To cater for the large number of children living with disabilities in Shahjadpur and other remote villages CSF works with, this intensive group therapy program was time limited six four months, with community follow - up provided up to seven months, to help transition to community, school and family support. The transition program comprises parent support and education, group therapy and community follow – up.

Parent support and education is provided through involving the child’s caregivers in all elements of the transition program. The teachers and fieldworkers involve the parent in the group therapy and community follow - up by providing family-centred care, keeping the caregiver informed about the child’s progress, and providing recommendations and empowering caregivers to advocate for and facilitate their child’s participation in their home, community, school and vocation. Through this program, caregivers form support networks with other caregivers of children with disabilities. Caregivers are also encouraged to participate in a caregiver training, which follows a Getting to Know Cerebral Palsy Caregiver Training Manual developed by CSF. The group therapy is provided as an intensive six-month program that focuses on assisting the child to build skills relevant to activities of daily living (toileting, dressing, eating), functional mobility, play, communication, school – readiness, productivity. The child attends the sessions with at least one primary caregiver, allowing both to develop skills. Throughout the transition program, centre staff provides the child and family follow-up in the community. The goal of this community follow -up is required to facilitate the transition process by providing strategies and assistive devices to assist the child at home with activities of daily living (washing, toileting, eating, and dressing), supporting the child’s local school to enable their admission to school and participation in school activities, increasing awareness about disability and the child’s abilities and rights to facilitate the child’s family and community develop support networks and increase opportunities for the child to participate in the community, supporting the child to develop a meaningful vocation in their family and community, particularly for those children unable to attend school (e.g. sorting vegetables).

Visit our page Community Based Rehabilitation to find out more about the Shishu Shorgo (Children’s Heaven) Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Centres.

Ma O Shishu Hospital (Maternity and Child Hospital), Shahjadpur, Sirajganj

This is a specialized maternity and child health oriented hospital providing various maternal and child care and services to people from rural and remote areas. It is situated in Shahjadpur sub-district (upazilla) of Sirajganj district in Bangladesh. A number of presently ongoing studies are being conducted with support from this facility.

The facility provides maternal and child health (MCH) services to families with children in Shahzadpur and neighbouring areas.

Participating in the maternal and child health services helps identify issues and concerns in a child’s health and development early in life, i.e. early diagnosis and treatment can take place via necessary steps to deal with them at the earliest possible opportunity. This is done either through facilities available at this hospital, or through a referral network.

BNSB Eye Hospital, Sirajganj – a part of Prof. Matin BNSB Eye Care System

This facility was established in 1988 and presently treats around 250 patients per day (approximately 150 of which are new). It is equipped with various equipment for OPD, refraction, advanced secondary eye care, OT, surgeries. A range of personnel are serving at this hospital currently; ophthalmologists, refractionists, optometrists, nurses who are supported by eye-camp coordinators, biomedical equipment technicians, and various support staff. The eye hospital maintains records both on paper and on computers. Refractive error, cataract, glaucoma surgeries constitute the main services provided while complicated cases are referred to Prof. Matin Memorial BNSB Base Eye Hospital, Sirajganj & Ispahani Islami Eye Hospital, Dhaka.

This hospital capacity consists of 40 beds and 2 cabins, and effectively provides services over 300 days annually on average. The workforce at this facility consists of 5 physicians and 15 allied medical personnel. The number of surgeries conducted by year is around 700 (650 Eye Surgery, 50 Scissors Delivery) with an estimated 75,000 (37500 Eye OPD, 37500 Mother & Child OPD) outdoor patients treated per year. Vaccine storage and pathology lab services are available on site. The hospital’s community outreach programs involve KIM (Key Informant Method) camps to identify and treats persons with blindness or severe visual impairments. Each month 4 eye camps are conducted for an average of 48 camps per year. For continued delivery of treatment and services, the eye hospital maintains its own dedicated back-up utility services (clean water, gas and electricity). Additionally, the hospital has its own shop for selling spectacles.

BNSB Eye Hospital, Sirajganj – a part of Prof. Matin BNSB Eye Care System

This facility was established in 1988 and presently treats around 250 patients per day (approximately 150 of which are new). It is equipped with various equipment for OPD, refraction, advanced secondary eye care, OT, surgeries. A range of personnel are serving at this hospital currently; ophthalmologists, refractionists, optometrists, nurses who are supported by eye-camp coordinators, biomedical equipment technicians, and various support staff. The eye hospital maintains records both on paper and on computers. Refractive error, cataract, glaucoma surgeries constitute the main services provided while complicated cases are referred to Prof. Matin Memorial BNSB Base Eye Hospital, Sirajganj & Ispahani Islami Eye Hospital, Dhaka.

This hospital capacity consists of 40 beds and 2 cabins, and effectively provides services over 300 days annually on average. The workforce at this facility consists of 5 physicians and 15 allied medical personnel. The number of surgeries conducted by year is around 700 (650 Eye Surgery, 50 Scissors Delivery) with an estimated 75,000 (37500 Eye OPD, 37500 Mother & Child OPD) outdoor patients treated per year. Vaccine storage and pathology lab services are available on site. The hospital’s community outreach programs involve KIM (Key Informant Method) camps to identify and treats persons with blindness or severe visual impairments. Each month 4 eye camps are conducted for an average of 48 camps per year. For continued delivery of treatment and services, the eye hospital maintains its own dedicated back-up utility services (clean water, gas and electricity). Additionally, the hospital has its own shop for selling spectacles.

Wahida & Matin Memorial CSF Eye Hospital

The pediatric eye hospital was established in 2008 in collaboration with the Wahida Matin Memorial Trust. Situated in Dhaka the hospital is committed to providing specialized eye care services to blind and vision-impaired children. The paediatric eye hospital has a capacity of 12 beds with 2 full-time physicians on duty. Outreach programs include community-based approaches such as use of the Key Informant Method (KIM) to identify, trace and refer children with eye problems. A full range of suitable ophthalmic and medical equipment is available at the facility.

The success of the Key Informant Method has allowed children with vision-impairments (and other disabilities) to be identified and linked with the right treatment. Alongside provision of counselling to children and their families, fully subsidy is provided for all costs associated with the accessing of treatment in order to ensure optimum vision outcomes. The hospital also has its own shop for selling spectacles to serve patients and other visitors. The International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH) supports program monitoring and evaluation for the hospital. Additionally, existing epidemiological and qualitative research activities at the facilities can allow for further research in this regard with collaboration of individuals and other organizations.

North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Sirajganj

The North Bengal Medical College and Hospital is a prominent tertiary care hospital and an educational institute situated in Sirajganj, Bangladesh. The medical college established in 2000 is situated in a beautiful location on the banks of the River Jamuna in the district town of Sirajganj. The campus is notable for its scenic beauty with surroundings of lush green trees and meadows interspersed by newly constructed modern buildings and old heritage buildings.

The hospital was established following consideration of the poor medicare facilities available especially in the Northern regions of Bangladesh, Professor M.A. Matin, the founder, had embarked upon this prestigious projects of establishing a medical college and the attached hospitals. Besides regular faculty members in different departments, many eminent medical educationists both in clinical and basic sciences departments are associated with the teaching and training programmes of the students at the institutions. They will also render health care services to the patients coming to this hospital as well as other facilities associated with the college.