Conservation group WildTeam and international social purpose organisation Friendship have launched a joint healthcare initiative to bring primary medical services, health education, and referral support to vulnerable forest-edge residents in Joymoni and surrounding areas of Mongla upazila.
The project was officially opened with an orientation programme and a daylong medical clinic at the WildTeam Conservation Biology Centre in Joymoni.
Mongla Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sharmin Akter Sumi inaugurated the medical camp as chief guest, while Friendship Programme Officer Dr Md Hasanuzzaman Sarker attended as the guest of honour.
Addressing the audience, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sharmin Akter Sumi highlighted the serious medical risks faced by isolated communities living far from central health facilities.
She noted that reaching the main Upazila Health Complex can take up to 45 minutes, creating delays that can prove fatal during emergencies involving expectant mothers or patients suffering from strokes.
She described the joint project as vital for Joymoni, where many families relying directly on the forest have extremely limited access to routine medical care.
The local official urged organisers to maintain uninterrupted support despite logistical difficulties and called on residents to become more health-conscious and seek timely medical assistance.
The initiative focuses on improving primary healthcare access, raising awareness about maternal and child health, and linking forest-dependent households to secondary medical systems.
As part of the operational plan, Friendship will oversee all medical operations, delivering qualified healthcare personnel, consultations, basic medicines, and mobile health assistance.
Community medical aides will conduct home visits and local awareness sessions to identify individuals requiring care and connect them to clinic services.
Dr Md Hasanuzzaman Sarker explained that Friendship will keep a running register of patients needing specialist care, ensuring they are connected to the organisation's floating hospital ships when they dock in the region every three to six months.
He added that patients requiring complex procedures, including eye surgeries, will be logged on the register and contacted as soon as hospital vessels arrive in the area.
WildTeam is providing non-medical field support, including venue facilities, community registration, local coordination, and patient-flow management.
The scheme prioritises vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, nursing mothers, adolescent girls, elderly residents, and local forest-resource collectors.
The broader health effort is integrated into WildTeam's five-year Sundarbans biodiversity conservation project, funded by joint venture firms Echotex and Echoknits.
Existing community networks, including local Village Tiger Response Teams and youth groups, are being used to coordinate medical visits and ensure that care reaches those most in need.
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