Grameen Eye Hospital in Thakurgaon begins services from own building

The ten-bed Grameen Eye Hospital in Thakurgaon began services out of its own compound -- a two-storey building -- on Friday. 

The hospital, which is a social business initiative of Grameen Health Care Services, has been provisioned for expansion, up to a six-storey building with 100 beds, Yunus Centre said in a statement yesterday.

The hospital has been operating out of a rented building since March 2013.

Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus established Grameen Health Care Services, which opened the first Grameen Eye Care Hospital in Bogra in 2007, followed by the second hospital built in Barisal in 2009.

The third was set up on a 22,000 square-feet area in Thakurgaon, and the fourth is currently being built in Satkhira.

Doctors, nurses and other staff of the Grameen eye hospitals receive training at Aravind Eye Care Hospital in India, with specialised skills in cataract surgery, according to the statement.

The hospitals charge patients based on their ability to pay, and those with most limited means receive free services. Everyone receives the same high-quality treatment.

The hospitals have so far performed over 40,000 surgeries and examined over 8.5 lakh patients. Some 23 percent of the patients were financially challenged and received free treatment.

The hospital in Thakurgaon performed 2,500 surgeries and examined 74,000 patients, of which about 30,000 were served for free.

“The main objective of these hospitals is to provide services to the people without incurring losses. Unlike traditional businesses which are driven with the motive of profit-maximisation, these hospitals are operating as no-loss business for maximising benefit to people,” said Yunus, also the chairman of Grameen Health Care Services.

“Investors here will not claim any dividends, and the profits will be used for expansion of the hospitals and further development of healthcare programme.”