eHealth Pilot in Bangladesh

Monitoring and Troubleshooting Officers (MTOs) provided basic troubleshooting services to field workers (FWs) during this period. The MTOs visited FWs with netbook-related issues, providing a total of 52 troubleshooting services. The majority of problems were similar to those encountered previously, and the solving process was also consistent. Five netbooks required repair and were sent to the vendor in Dhaka. The manufacturer's warranty was used to facilitate the repair process, and the netbooks were delivered back to the FWs within five working days. To minimize disruptions, FWs were provided with backup netbooks while their primary devices were being repaired. This ensured that they could continue their counseling activities without interruption. The Dhaka dissemination event was held on December 17, 2013, where preliminary findings from the eHealth pilot were presented. The event was attended by high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), including the Secretary, Mr. M M Neazuddin, and the Director General of the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), Mr. Ganesh Chandra Sarker. The event also featured a joint presentation by Ms. Vanessa Mitchell, BKMI Program Manager, and Ms. Shusmita Khan of Eminence, as well as a video documentary on the pilot's implementation. The results of the pilot revealed that field workers were empowered through the use of netbooks, leading to an increase in the number of clients approaching them for health information. The FWs also demonstrated improved knowledge and skills in health, population, and nutrition areas. There was a notable increase in the integration of messages, with Health Assistants (HAs) counseling more on family planning and Female Worker Assistants (FWAs) counseling more on nutrition. Additionally, some mothers in the communities began to change their health behaviors as a result of the counseling they received from FWs with netbooks. Rafiqul Islam, a Health Assistant, and Puspa Rani Boral, a Female Worker Assistant, who participated in the pilot, shared their experiences during the dissemination event. Their testimonies highlighted the positive impact of the eHealth pilot on their work and the communities they served.