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About Grameen Healthcare

Grameen Healthcare is a health delivery network that is being created as a series of building blocks. Some of those building blocks are established, others are still on the drawing board:

Current Operations
• Grameen Clinics
• Micro-Insurance Program
• Grameen Eye Hospital

Social Business Joint Ventures
• Grameen-Danone
• Grameen-Veolia

Development Programs
• Integrated Network of Hospitals, Medical Schools and Clinics

 initiative
Current Operations
GRAMEEN CLINICS
48 Grameen Clinics (GCs) have been established across Bangladesh that include a laboratory and pharmacy, and satellite camps along with community health outreach, and emergency services. The GCs are associated with a local Grameen Bank Branch and are led and managed by a licensed physician, who is assisted by one or two paramedics, a laboratory technician and six community health assistants. This network currently operates with 93% cost recovery. The GCs typically serve a population of 50,000 persons living within 8-10 kilometers of the clinic. For more information please visit: link		 MICRO-INSURANCE PROGRAM
A vital component of these health programs is the accompanying micro-health insurance scheme to encourage positive health seeking practices. This serves a dual purpose of enhancing utilization of health services and improving cost-recovery to achieve sustainability. An integral part of the Grameen approach is the ?sixteen decisions? which guide all GB borrowers and their families toward productive living. Indeed, more than half of these 16 decisions directly address the health and well being of borrowers and their families. Thus, the basic principles of learning organizations and an overall vision to support the well-being of the poor have been pillars of the Grameen approach.		 GRAMEEN EYE HOSPITAL
Opened in 2008, the first Grameen Eye Hospital is modeled after the successful Aravind eye hospitals in India. These targeted to perform 50,000 eye examinations and 10,000 cataract operations per year. The hospital charges its patients based on their ability to pay, with wealthier clients charged at a normal rate and the poor at subsidized. Everyone receives the same high-quality treatment. The key to the success of the model is a system that delivers very high quality and standard eye care services at an affordable cost by using high volume and having highly trained technicians doing most of the examination and preparation work so that ophthalmologists can focus on the operations.

Social Business Joint Ventures

Grameen Danone Foods
The Grameen and Groupe Danone entered into a joint venture agreement effective from March 2006, to form a company called Grameen Danone Foods - a social business enterprise in Bangladesh. Grameen Danone Foods brings daily healthy nutrition to low income nutritionally deprived populations in Bangladesh and alleviates poverty through the implementation of a unique community based business model.

Grameen and Veolia Water agreed in March 2008 to set up a new company called Grameen-Veolia Water Ltd to supply drinking water to the poorest people of Bangladesh. Its mission will be to operate several water treatment and production plants in the poorest villages in Bangladesh. At the end of 2008, the first plant, has begun supplying water suitable for cooking and drinking to 25 000 inhabitants of Goalmari, a village 100 km. from Dhaka. Consumers pay a price that is set on the basis of what they can afford. All the profits will be reinvested in the further development of the project.

BASF Grameen Ltd. will start by utilizing two products from BASF’s portfolio: dietary supplement sachets containing vitamins and micronutrients, and impregnated mosquito nets that offer protection against insect-borne disease. BASF will contribute €200,000 initial investment, funds for one million sachets of vitamins and micronutrients and 100,000 mosquito nets. Grameen’s contribution includes its knowledge of the market, distribution structures and networks in Bangladesh.

Development Programs

Integrated Network of Hospitals, Medical Schools, and Clinics
A new Grameen University and Hospital in Bangladesh will be an important focal point of the project. This hospital and university will be developed into one of the most advanced in the country, treating patients from all strata of society with the best methods possible. Additionally, a strong research and training component will be attached to every aspect of the hospital and university. The university will focus on training doctors, nurses and technicians that will be critical to the growth and effectiveness of the overall network.

The hospital will have branches all over the country, including 30 district Grameen Hospitals; 5 of these will be larger regional Grameen Hospitals located in bigger cities. There will also be up to 3,000 or smaller technician staffed community ambulatory clinics. These clinics will be organized to serve the entire local population in addition to Grameen borrowers. All these centres will have their own research and training components in addition to the quality treatment and primary Healthcare facilities.

We seek partners who can help in this multifaceted project. Please contact us at the following link if you would like to discuss collaboration
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