Summary

Program goals

Objectives: To provide financial support in the form of interest subsidy and support to the borrower and staff of Grameen Bank (GB) and their families; To establish and operate primary health centers and other health service facilities; To invest in creating Social Business Enterprises for the benefit of low income groups living in the rural areas; To provide scholarships to meritorious students of the families of GB borrowers and employees; To undertake rescue operations and provide emergency health services to the victims during natural disasters; To assist in research and experimentation to find ways and means to bring positive socioeconomic change to less privileged people.

Key program components

As an insurer and health service provider, GK implements an affordable health micro-insurance scheme, running a network of community-based health centers and satellite clinics, managing a referral system for secondary and tertiary care, and coordinating outreach health services (domiciliary service) by community-based female health workers. GK's operational cost recovery rate has reached 83% (at the stage of continuous expansion) in 2008, up from 38% in 1997. GK currently operates 48 health centers in 14 districts and 50 upazilla (subdistricts), and provides primary health care services to 2.2 million people.

Each health center is staffed by a qualified physician, an office manager, a female paramedic/nurse, a laboratory technician and five female health assistants. Every center has the capacity to serve a population of 30-35 thousand people. GK plans to gradually expand into a countrywide program.

Health microinsurance is pivotal in GK activities, ensuring target group participation and raising revenue for the program. The scheme employs a sliding scale fee structure. Nonmembers of Grameen Bank pay slightly more (300 taka or about $4.28) than members (200 taka or about $2.85), but there is no distinction in service and benefits, and each plan covers up to six members of a cardholder's family.

The plan provides free preventive care, family planning, and health education services to all, irrespective of enrollment. For health center visits enrollees pay 20 taka or about $0.29 and non-enrollees pay 50 taka or about $0.71. Enrollees also receive a discount on medicine and laboratory tests. Grameen uses Intel's Laptop-based software for identifying high-risk pregnancies, tracking patients, allocating resources and training community health workers.

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