LAMB Integrated Rural Health & Development Project

Hospital

Women and Child Friendly Hospital award

Community Health & Development Organization

English-medium schoolLAMB School was started in 1996 as a response to a felt need for education of staff children. During a time when it was difficult to attract medical and development specialists to the project the need for a school for staff children was one of several approaches to make LAMB more sustainable.From a dual medium beginning the school changed to fully English-medium and now works towards offering education to both staff and non-staff children up to the English 'O-Levels' (Grade 10 equivalent).

Human Resource Development Center

The HRD Centre provides training on health and development issues ranging from basic skills for Village Health Workers with little or no education to government recognized training of medical doctors. LAMB also conducts training for other NGO and GO projects in Bangladesh.The current building was financed with help from the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.

History

The vision for [http://www.lambproject.org LAMB Project] began in the mid-1950s, when Mr. John Otteson, a missionary of the American Santal Mission in Dinajpur, felt an urgent need for medical work for the hundreds of thousands who had no access to proper health care. This vision was developed further through a prayer group in Los Angeles, CA, USA. A committee was formed who believed it to be their responsibility to begin the medical work in northern Bangladesh. Land was purchased just West of Parbatipur town was purchased between 1969 and 1972. After the independence of Bangladesh and through the early and mid 1970s, the groundwork for the future of LAMB Project was laid.

LAMB officially began with our registration with the Ministry of Social Services in 1981. The first programs introduced were a small clinic at the LAMB site and mobile clinics in several villages. The Community Health division expanded gradually to include sanitation programs (installation of latrines and tubewells), health teaching in villages, promotion of kitchen gardens and other such preventive health programs. In the meantime, plans for and construction of the hospital took place. The 50-bed hospital itself opened in October 1983. The initial purpose of LAMB was to assist in improving the health of the people living in this area by providing preventive and curative health care in both the hospital and village settings, and by motivating and enabling people to take responsibility for their own health needs through functional education, income generation and self-help programs. Throughout its history, LAMB has used the services of expatriate personnel, who have trained national staff in leadership and in positions requiring special skills.

Since the early 1980s, the LAMB Community Health Development Program (CHDP) has had several components: the Preventive Health Program; Mobile Clinic; Nutrition Center; Functional Education; Income Generation and Training Programs. These training programs included training for Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA), Village Doctors and beneficiaries in areas of health & development. A Tuberculosis program began in the late 1980's, and was later developed into a reputable TB Control Program in 1995. The hospital has provided out patient, in patient, 24-hour emergency service, and well-rounded ancillary services since its establishment in 1983. A relationship with [http://www.plan-international.org PLAN International] began in 1994 and initially involved the sub-contracting of health services on LAMB's part, by providing mobile clinics (Women's clinics, Antenatal, Under-five) and health teaching. Also in 1994, the British High Commissioner, Mr. Peter Fowler, inaugurated the new rehabilitation building. Later that year, a physiotherapist from the UK began a community based Rehabilitation program. HRH Princess Anne visited LAMB Project in 1995 and soon after LAMB received an offer of financial assistance from the Department for International Development (DFID - British Government). Since 1996, following the implementation of the DFID grant, these services improved dramatically in both quantity and quality.

In 1997, the relationship with PLAN International broadened to a partnership. In 1998, through assistance from PLAN International, DFID and World Mission Prayer League, LAMB increased the size of the hospital to 75 beds. The Director General of the NGO Bureau, Md. Giash Uddin Pattan was the Chief Guest for the opening ceremonies. Further expansions in 2006 and 2007 have added a Fistula Ward (Female surgery) with assistance from [http://www.engenderhealth.org/our-countries/asia-near-east/bangladesh.php Engender Health] and a Pediatric ward to the hospital taking numbers to well over 100.

Today LAMB Integrated Rural Health and Development Project is a complex development organization with a range of medical and development activities ranging from micro credit to health teaching as well as research and training of trainers.

The work is done in cooperation with the Government of Bangladesh at both local and national level as well as with other national and international NGOs such as ICDDR,B and the [http://www.glencoefoundation.org Glencoe Foundation] .

Sources and external verification(www.lambproject.org)