07/07/2026
What We Learned: Field Visit to Radda MCH-FP Centre
Course: Community Oriented Medical Education (COME)
Location: Section-10, Mirpur, Dhaka
Participant: Medical Student, Batch SM-28
Date of Visit: July 2026
1. Getting to Know Radda:
A Brief History
During our visit, we learned that the Radda MCH-FP Centre is a highly efficient non-profit organization that provides comprehensive, low-cost healthcare to the marginalized urban communities of Mirpur. It actually started its journey back in 1974 under the international NGO Radda Barnen (Swedish Save the Children) to address urgent maternal and pediatric healthcare needs in the area.
To build a sustainable, long-term model, the management was transferred to a local trust in 1994 with permission from the Ministry of Health. By 2004, Swedish financial support wrapped up completely, making Radda fully self-sustaining. Today, they fund their entire infrastructure through heavily subsidized service fees and community partnerships, managing static clinics, satellite clinics, and even collaborating on health research.
Currently Radda has four static centre. Among which three are in Mirpur.
Mirpur 10,Mirpur 1,Mirpur 12 and the last one is in Uttara.
Radda has a medicine corner ,where everyone can get medicine relatively in low cost.
It is now operating as a Primary Health Care facility. More complex cases are reffered to different Government Hospitals according to patient's need.
2. The Core Lessons:(Sectors of Radda coverage )
Family Planning & Contraceptives
In the counseling unit, we learned how the center practically manages community birth spacing. We got to look at their contraceptive supply basket, which includes low-dose oral contraceptive pills (Sukhie, Femipil, Desolon, Marvelon), progestin-only pills for lactating mothers (Minicon), emergency pills (Emcon-1), and barrier options (Panther condoms). We also inspected the sterile equipment used for long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC), like Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) and subdermal implants. The medical officer explained their strategy of gently guiding families from temporary postpartum methods toward permanent solutions, like tubectomies and non-scalpel vasectomies, once their families are complete.
Immunization Programs & Cold Chain Storage
The clinic operates a massive immunization framework. We reviewed the standard yellow EPI cards used to track infant schedules: BCG at birth, Pentavalent, OPV, fractional IPV, PCV (at 6, 10, and 14 weeks), and the MR vaccine at 9 and 15 months. They also handle the 5-dose TD schedule for women of reproductive age.
Beyond government supplies, we learned about their advanced private vaccine section that stocks upgrades like RotaTeq (rotavirus), Varivax (chickenpox), Gardasil (HPV), and Rabix-VC (rabies). We also got a firsthand look at their strict vaccine storage configurations, seeing the specialized refrigerator setups and dial thermometers that keep the cold chain perfectly active so these delicate biologicals never lose their potency.
Growth Charts & Nutrition Care
We spent a lot of time studying pediatric monitoring and how the clinic tracks a child's development using gender-specific WHO growth charts—blue for boys and pink for girls. By plotting a child's weight and height against their age over consecutive visits, we learned how to easily trace a child's growth trajectory. The top curve signifies normal development, the middle zone signals Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), and falling below the lowest boundary flags Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), which triggers immediate enrollment in an intensive nutrition recovery program.
To teach families how to avoid growth faltering, the center uses highly visual dietary plates. The child plate shows milestones for complementary feeding from 6 to 23 months along with ongoing breastfeeding up to 2 years. The maternal nutrition plate demonstrates the right proportions of carbs (rice/roti), proteins (fish/meat/eggs), vitamins (leafy greens/fruits), and healthy oils needed to satisfy a pregnant or lactating mother's daily needs.
Expanded Care: Dental, Physiotherapy, & Diagnostics
We were amazed to see that Radda has grown into a full-spectrum primary care hospital by implementing specialized departments that go way beyond basic maternal care:
 Dental Care Unit: This wing provides accessible, low-cost oral health services like routine checkups, scaling, extractions, and hygiene education. It serves as an essential safety net since dental costs are typically skipped by underprivileged families.
 Physiotherapy Unit: A dedicated department designed to treat musculoskeletal issues, chronic pain, and stroke recovery. It plays a massive role in helping local labor workers and postpartum mothers regain functional mobility through highly affordable therapy sessions.
Pathology Labs: To complete their care loop, they run an in-house pharmacy and diagnostic pathology labs covering hematology, biochemistry, and clinical pathology, meaning patients can get their basic blood work done right on-site.
3. Reflections & Acknowledgments
This visit clearly showed us that true healthcare is built from the ground up. Being a good doctor isn't just about treating illnesses in a tertiary hospital; it is about prevention, public health education, and making healthcare accessible to the grassroots population.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the honorable Medical Officer of the Radda MCH-FP Centre. Thank you so much for dedicating your valuable time to guiding us through every single wing, mapping out the logistical realities of running these clinical departments, and giving us a clear look at the full spectrum of community health services. Your practical, on-the-ground insights made this field experience incredibly meaningful!
