Staff Reporter :
Gonoshasthaya Kendra will bear rickshaw pullers children’s university study cost, said, Ganashashtya Kendra founder and trustee, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury.
He said that they will manage money so that the rickshaw pullers can be owners of the rickshaws.
He said in the programme at Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in the capital on Tuesday.
In the programme, the Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital introduced a special ‘public health insurance’ for low income people, including rickshaw pullers, van drivers, and peddlers, at just Tk 200 per month.
The hospital initially plans to cover 20,000 low income people in Dhaka city under the programme, according to hospital authorities.
15 days worth of food items were distributed to 300 rickshaw pullers at the inauguration ceremony.
Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury said the entire family of those with this insurance can avail the advice of health workers and doctors 24 hours round the clock, free of cost.
Among others, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikko, Junaid Saki, chief coordinator of Gana Sanghati Andolan, and freedom fighter Nayeem Jahangir, were present on the occasion.
Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, said the hospital will provide dental, eye, and ear examinations for free to these low income people, he said.
Also, blood transfusions, emergency admission of burn and accident patients, admission without having to pay any fee for beds, free circumcision for children, and prenatal and postnatal services for pregnant women, will also be provided to beneficiaries of the insurance programme, Chowdhury added.
The hospital is also offering a 25 pc discount on nutritious food, Minavit, vitamin B complex, and all medicines.
Chowdhury said patients will get physiotherapy treatment for hand, foot, and back pain, for only Tk25 each time at the hospital.
All tests to diagnose diseases-X-ray, USG, pathology- will be done at 50% less than the regular price.
ECG will be provided at Tk100, echography and ultrasonography at Tk200, and X-rays for Tk400, and 24 hour bone fracture treatment will be provided at low cost, said Chowdhury.
