An Organic Growth in Health Care

Founded in 1956 through the initiative of Late National Prof (Dr) M Ibrahim the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (acronymed in Bengali as ‘BADAS’from Bangladesh Diabetic Somiti) is now the largest health care chain in Bangladesh next to the public sector. Starting from a small tin-shed establishment it has grown into a nation-wide organization consisting of around 80 health care and educational facilities spread all over the country.
The single largest component of the chain is the Bangladesh Institute of Research & Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM, established 1980) is situated in the capital and presently serving around 380,000 registered diabetic patients (around 3000 patients per day). The Institute has a 650-bed modern hospital, an Academy which runs 14 postgraduate courses in various disciplines of medicine, and it also conducts research activities which has been acknowledged through the WHO designation of BIRDEM as a Collaborating Centre for Research on Diabetes and its Complications. In total BADAS serves about 1.4 million registered diabetic patients in the country and, in addition, it serves a vast number of non-diabetic population with diagnostic and therapeutic services. Various projects of BADAS also played a pioneering role in introducing latest diagnostic and health care technologies, techniques and ideas in Bangladesh. All the development, as mentioned above, occurred through a sort of organic process: need of diabetes care, and gradually general health care, among the population and inner urge by the Founder and his Associates and Successors to serve the people. The whole organization was developed through the intellect, dedication, work plan and finance of Bangladeshi people – external advice and cooperation has played only a facilitating role in special circumstances.

Comprehensive Care

Within a culture of health care made synonymous with only medical care BADAS could make a breakthrough by providing comprehensive healthcare which included not only care by the physicians but also nutrition and health education within a broader context of integrated primary, secondary and tertiary care.

Health Care Development Program – Transforming BADAS Experience of Diabetes Care to General Health Care

Health Care Development Program aims to transform the diabetes health care model of BADAS into a sustainable comprehensive Model for Bangladesh by a process of continuous planning and expansion. The ultimate goal of the present initiative is to form a country-wide network of self-sustained general health care facilities by using and expanding the existing BADAS facilities and allied services for the public.

Health Care Development Project (HCDP): the Pilot

The overall nationwide dream of the Health Care Development Program is now being piloted through a Project which includes a 250-bed Teaching Hospital (upgradeable to 500-bed) and 10 Urban Health Centres in and around Dhaka, and a 200–bed (upgradeable to 300-bed) Regional Hospital in Sirajganj, 30-75 bed Sub-regional hospitals (upgradeable to 100-bed) in Bogra, Pabna, Dinajpur and Thakurgaon, and 4 to peripheral Health Centres linked to the Sub-regional Hospitals.

SPTH (Semi permanent Teaching Hospital)

Development Partnership as well as Public -Private Partnership in Action

For its implementation HCDP is supported by a 19.3 million Euro Grant by the Dutch Government through its Development-Related Export Transaction Program (known by its Dutch acronym ORET). A Dutch Organization -- Simed International bv -- is responsible for implementing the Project. The Government of Bangladesh, being the Signatory and BADAS being the Beneficiary of the Grant, the Project has created a good example of partnership on health care between the people of Bangladesh and Development Partners on the one hand, and between the public sector and private sector on the other hand.

Non-conventional Investment by local Banks for a Social Goal

It is specially encouraging that 12 local Banks and financial institutes, both from public and private sectors, have come forward to support this socially motivated project by giving long–term syndicated loan of Tk 1030 million to the Project. The participating Banks are Pubali Bank Limited (Lead Arranger), Sonali Bank Limited, Rupali Bank Limited, The City Bank Limited, Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited (Co-Arranger), Industrial Promotion & Development Company of Bangladesh Limited, Agrani Bank Limited, Bank Asia Limited, Prime Bank Limited, IFIC Bank Limited, Standard Bank Limited and United Commercial Bank Limited.

Implementation cost and program of investment

The total implementation cost of the Project is about 50 million Euro out of which 19.3 million Euro is supported by the Dutch Govt through ORET Grant and an almost equal amount is supported by a long-term bank loan from a consortium of 12 local banks.