Access to healthcare becomes meaningful when no eligible woman walks away from a health facility without receiving the service of her choice. In Patna, Bihar, where demand for family planning services is growing, the lack of trained providers often forces women to postpone or abandon their reproductive health decisions.
Dr. Farheen, a gynecologist at the Saffa Nursing Home in Patna shared:
If we believe change will come without meaningful interventions in family planning, we are mistaken. My mission goes beyond clinical care, it’s about strengthening women’s health at its roots and ensuring services are within reach. The Challenge Initiative (TCI) India gave me the platform to act on what I believed in; that is, to advocate and deliver family planning services where they are needed the most.
As a respected private healthcare provider, Dr. Farheen has long been engaged in promoting postpartum and post-abortion family planning (PPFP and PAFP) services at her own facility. With the technical support of the TCI India team, she was already strengthening data systems, maintaining service records, and regularly uploading data to the HMIS portal.
But it was during a routine TCI India visit that another opportunity emerged. She said:
TCI’s India team mentioned the growing need for trained IUCD (intrauterine contraceptive devices) providers at Urban Primary Health Centers (UPHCs). Despite demand from clients, these centers were unable to deliver services due to the lack of trained staff. As a gynecologist, I thought this was my duty, hence I asked them to call me whenever they needed support.
That promise quickly turned into action. At the UPHC Chandpur Bela, three clients had already been counseled and were ready to receive IUCD services. The UPHC team immediately reached out to Dr. Farheen, who noted:
I went to the UPHC, interacted with each client personally, explained the procedure, possible side effects, and what to do in case of complications. My goal wasn’t just to serve; it was to build capacity. I gave a hands-on orientation to the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) on IUCD insertion, guiding them through each step, and ensured the documentation was properly done. Each client received IUCD services.
Her visit did more than deliver clinical services. UPHC staff felt supported and gained confidence in performing IUCD insertions themselves, and clients came away with greater trust in the services available to them.
This is the kind of change TCI India works to create: coaching frontline staff, strengthening data systems, and connecting private providers like Dr. Farheen to the public facilities that need them most. Her willingness to step in didn’t just fill a gap in services, it built lasting capacity that will serve future clients long after her visit.
