Gonoshasthaya Hospital offers health insurance at Tk200 for low income people

Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital on Tuesday introduced a special 'public health insurance' for low income people, including rickshaw pullers, van drivers, and peddlers, at just Tk200 per month.

The hospital initially plans to cover 20,000 low income people in Dhaka city under the programme, according to hospital authorities. 

The health insurance programme was inaugurated at the Bir Uttam Major Haider Auditorium on the 6th floor of the Public Health Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhanmondi.

15 days worth of food items were distributed to 300 rickshaw pullers at the inauguration ceremony.

Ganashashtya Kendra founder and trustee, 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.

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% 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.

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.