NGO medical program restores health to thousands of marginalized women in rural Bangladesh
Photo Collected
Two women in Jirat village of Jashore, Bangladesh, have reclaimed their lives following successful surgeries for severe uterine complications, a recovery made possible through the medical intervention of the local non-governmental organization Jagorani Chakra Foundation (JCF). For Shirina Khatun, 56, and Nuri Khatun, the surgeries marked the end of years of debilitating pain and financial instability that had pushed them to the brink of despair.
Shirina, a widow who lost her husband in a road accident three decades ago, had been suffering from a uterine tumor for six years. Her condition, characterized by constant bleeding and chronic pain, left her unable to work, deepening the poverty she already faced while caring for her disabled son. Similarly, Nuri Khatun, who was diagnosed with a uterine tumor during her second pregnancy, struggled to maintain a job as a cook while battling health issues that threatened her family’s only source of income.
Recognizing the dire circumstances of these women, JCF health workers intervened to provide comprehensive support. The organization fully financed the surgeries, costing 35,000 taka per patient, allowing both women to return to healthy, productive lives. Reflecting on their recovery, both Shirina and Nuri expressed profound gratitude, noting that the intervention rescued them from a cycle of medical neglect and social hardship that their families could not have overcome independently.
The initiative is part of a broader, long-term health program established by JCF’s late founding executive director, Azadul Kabir Arzu. Since 2015, the organization has performed free surgeries for 27,000 marginalized women. This effort includes 12,167 patients treated specifically for uterine prolapse, tumors, and severe infections, with the total expenditure for these medical services reaching 570 million taka.
According to JCF Executive Director Marina Akhter, the program seeks to bridge the gap created by a lack of health awareness and extreme poverty, which often leaves women suffering in silence for years. Beyond providing financial assistance, the organization ensures access to quality medical care as part of its core mission. To maintain this commitment to rural healthcare, JCF has allocated 150 million taka for its medical assistance projects in the current fiscal year.
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