Rozina, 20, lives with her family at Jharnarpar Bosti (slum) adjoining Old Rail Station. She has no idea about treatment during pregnancy and maternal health service.

Sakhina became surprised when she was asked to take Rozina to a healthcare centre for treatment.

When asked about taking nutritious food during pregnancy, she said it is difficult for her to manage even regular meal.

Thousands of people like Rozina residing in city slums have been suffering from various diseases as they have no access to medical facilities and education.

They are also far from other basic rights.

They have hardly heard of government hospitals or urban primary healthcare centres run by Chittagong City Corporation (CCC). They have great belief or trust in Kabiraj (quake) for treatment. They have no knowledge about various aspects of healthcare, including nutrition, pregnancy or childcare, for which they fall in trouble.

Like Rozina, Reshma, Taslima, Jeba of Jharnarpar Bosti, Josna, Rahimon and Saleha of Dewanhat Bosti under Dewanhat Over Bridge are indifferent to the need of special care for mothers, maternal diseases, birth control or family planning.

Most of the slum dwellers suffer from various diseases like tuberculosis, different skin complaints, chronic diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria and do not get any medical facilities due to poverty, ignorance and illiteracy.

Asian Development Bank (ADB), Nordic Development Fund and government jointly launched a project titled 'Urban Primary Healthcare Project' for the poor people in six areas in the port city since 1998, says a tri-monthly bulletin 'Sasthya Barta' published by the health department of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).

Twenty-five primary health service centres and two maternity health service centres have been rendering medical services under the project.

Each centre was set up at a cost of around Tk 34 lakh, sources said.

The budget for the urban health care project conducted by six city corporations for 2005-2006 was Tk 531 crore while ADB provided Tk 177 crore as loan and Tk 59 crore as donation, SEIDA Tk 29.50 crore as grant, DFID Tk 147.50 crore as grant, UNFPA Tk 11.

80 crore as grant and government will provide Tk 106.20 crore, they said.

Official said they have a plan to make, as envisaged by the project, healthcare services available at the doorsteps of the slum dwellers as well as the poor in the city.