Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

Programs

Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK)

last updated Oct 31, 2011

Overview

Year Launched: 
1972
Stage: 
Existing/expansion stage
Summary: 

Gonoshsthaya Kendra (GK) grew out of an effort by a group doctors to help treat wounded soldiers during Bangladesh's war of liberation in 1971. It began its post-war operations in 1972 and currently provides primary health care services to a population of over 1.08 million across 629 villages in Bangladesh.

Key program components: 

Among the services offered by GK are the following:

  • Primary Health Care and Paramedics: The use of paramedics ensures the delivery of health services to poor people living in rural areas. In addition to providing health care, employing female paramedics enables women to find new and satisfying employment opportunities.
  • Gonoshasthaya Urban Hospital: This 150-bed hospital provides a wide range of medical services for the general public, including patients covered by GK's income-based health insurance program. Furthermore, beginning in April 1999, mobile clinics can be dispatched to provide primary and school health care to the urban population.
  • Health Insurance: Gonoshasthaya Kendra introduced its Health Insurance Scheme in order to provide sustainable health care services to its target population. Insured persons are divided into four groups according to their socio-economic status and premium payments are determined by group. Group A represents distressed women and poor people. Group B represents marginal farmers who face insufficiency and even starvation. Group C represents those who can afford to eat twice a day and have some surplus. Group D represents those who have a sufficient supply of food but little surplus.

GK believes that health management is not an isolated problem in Bangladesh and that in order to develop the health care system, services must be integrated with other development activities. Therefore, GK is working to incorporate capacity building, basic education, financial assistance, female empowerment and other activities into the mandate of each of its health centers.

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