At Orion Pharma, CSR means more than just donations

Infographic: TBS

Over the years, our understanding of corporate social responsibility has evolved significantly. Like many organisations in Bangladesh, our earlier CSR activities were largely donation-driven and event-based. Those initiatives served an important purpose, especially during times of immediate need, but we gradually realised that responsibility should go beyond temporary relief.

Today, we believe meaningful CSR must create lasting social value.

As a healthcare, pharmaceutical, and diversified business group, we now try to align our social initiatives with areas where we can contribute meaningfully over the long term.

One example is the Orion Medical Scholarship Programme, through which we support students from government medical colleges. We do not see this simply as financial assistance; rather, we see it as an investment in the future healthcare capacity of Bangladesh.

Every student who completes medical education and eventually serves patients becomes part of a much larger, long-term impact.

In the same way, our cancer patient assistance initiative focuses on continuity of treatment support. In healthcare, sustainability matters far more than visibility.

Many patients struggle not only with diagnosis but with continuing treatment due to financial pressure, so our effort is designed to help them maintain access to essential medicines and care.

Infographic: TBS

Over time, we have also become more structured and organised in responding to natural disasters, educational needs, elderly support, and assistance for disadvantaged communities.

Our focus today is not simply on conducting CSR activities, but on creating sustainable positive impact in people's lives.

At the same time, we understand that intent alone is no longer enough. The real question is whether these initiatives are actually making a measurable difference.

We try to assess impact through both quantitative and qualitative indicators.

For example, under our medical scholarship initiative, we track how many students successfully complete their education and move into professional medical practice.

In our cancer patient support programme, we evaluate continuity of patient care, access to medicines, and the number of beneficiaries who otherwise would not have been able to continue treatment.

During emergency response activities, such as floods or cyclones, we assess the effectiveness of our outreach by looking at how widely and quickly support reaches affected communities, particularly in remote areas. Feedback from local communities, field representatives, and our own sales and distribution network also helps us understand whether assistance is reaching the right people at the right time.

Infographic: TBS

However, social impact cannot always be captured through numbers alone.

The ability of a child to continue education, or the dignity restored to an elderly person receiving regular support, often carries a value that statistics alone cannot fully express.

One of the most important steps we have taken towards sustainability is ensuring continuity.

Many of our initiatives are no longer seasonal or one-off efforts. Support for disadvantaged elderly people, healthcare assistance programmes, and educational sponsorships are ongoing commitments rather than isolated events.

We are also increasingly focusing on programmes that create multiplier effects. The medical scholarship programme is again a strong example. When one student becomes a doctor, the social benefit extends over decades through the thousands of patients they may eventually serve.

In addition, we now place greater importance on partnerships and institutional collaboration instead of standalone events. Sustainable social impact cannot be created by one organisation alone.

It requires coordination between businesses, educational institutions, local communities, and social organisations.

Looking ahead, we are particularly interested in strengthening community healthcare awareness, preventive healthcare, and youth development initiatives.

Ultimately, sustainability comes from empowerment, not dependency.

Among the many challenges Bangladesh faces today, I believe affordable healthcare and quality education remain two of the most urgent.

As a pharmaceutical and healthcare-focused organisation, healthcare naturally aligns with both our expertise and our social responsibility. This is why much of our work centres around medical support, healthcare accessibility, and educational initiatives that can contribute to long-term social improvement.

CSR is often criticised as a branding exercise, and I understand why that perception exists in some cases.

For us, however, CSR is not a marketing department activity; it is part of our organisational culture and values. In fact, many of our initiatives are carried out quietly without significant publicity.

That said, transparency is also important. Stakeholders deserve to know how organisations are contributing to society and how resources are being utilised.

We believe visibility should support transparency, but impact must always come first. Communication should reflect genuine work rather than become the purpose of the work itself.

Of course, not every initiative unfolds exactly as planned. During one of our flood relief programmes, logistical challenges delayed support in some remote areas. That experience was an important lesson for us. We realised the need for stronger local coordination mechanisms and faster emergency response systems.

Since then, we have improved our coordination with local representatives, community stakeholders, and our sales and distribution network to ensure quicker and more targeted support during emergencies. Experiences like these remind us that CSR is also a process of continuous learning and improvement.

Looking towards the next five to ten years, I believe CSR will become far more integrated with sustainability goals, ESG priorities, and measurable community impact. For our organisation, meaningful CSR will move further beyond traditional charity into more structured and strategic social investment.

We want to continue strengthening healthcare accessibility, medical education support, community resilience, and preventive healthcare initiatives.

At the same time, we also recognise the growing importance of environmental responsibility. Across our diversified business units, we aim to place greater emphasis on renewable energy awareness, sustainable industrial practices, and environmentally responsible operations.

Ultimately, meaningful CSR for us is about creating long-term value for society while remaining deeply connected to the communities we serve.

The author, Zareen Karim is the managing director of Orion Pharma Limited.