2008

GP Free Eye Camp at Barisal

23rd March
This is the seventh free Eye Camp organized jointly by Grameenphone and Sight Savers International. Through these camps, conducted in rural parts of Bangladesh where people have little or no access to quality healthcare, Grameenphone aims to provide free eye-care services to the economically disadvantaged people of the area.
The Dhaka Progressive Lions Eye Hospital (DPLEH), Takerhat, Madaripur, is the local partner in this eye camp.
3,882 patients arrived for care at the Government Gouronodi University College ground. All patients were given routine examinations and prescriptions for refractive error were given to those who required it.  Among them 150 patients were referred for and administered Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) or cataract surgeries.

Clinic on Wheels Handover Ceremony
27th  March

Grameenphone Ltd. handed over two clinic-on-wheels to NGOs Family Development Services and Research (FDSR) and Swanirvar Bangladesh as part of the “Grameenphone Safe Motherhood and Infant Care” project.
The clinic-on-wheels concept is unique and is perhaps this is being deployed for the first time in the country. The clinic-on-wheels will provide free ante-natal care, delivery and post-natal care to the mothers, and basic healthcare services to infants. The vehicles are equipped with professional staff, clinical aides and logistics to provide basic essential healthcare to the coastal belt communities of Bangladesh. Facilities for consultation, physical examination, a mini-pharmacy, and few basic laboratory investigation services will be available in the mobile clinics. It will also be equipped with provisions for minor surgeries. Each of the clinic-on-wheels will cover 4-5 clinic catchment areas and the route plan will be announced in advance to the target communities through public service announcements.
From August 2007 to January 2008, around 558,143 economically disadvantaged mothers and infants have received free healthcare services under this project. The project aims to reach around 800,000 poorest of the poor mothers and infants annually. Previously, Grameenphone provided financial assistance to FDSR and Swanirvar to set up Emergency Obstetric Care Centers and Ultasonogram Machines at its Patiya and Bhola Clinic respectively.

GP Free Eye Camp at Comilla
30th   April
This is the eighth free Eye Camp organized jointly by Grameenphone and Sight Savers International.
Through these camps, conducted in rural parts of Bangladesh where people have little or no access to quality healthcare, Grameenphone aims to provide free eye-care services to the economically disadvantaged people of the area. The Bangladesh Jatiya Andha Kalyan Samity (BJAKS), Comilla, is the local partner in this eye camp.
More than 1,110 patients arrived for care at the Chowddogram Upazilla Health Complex ground. All the patients were given routine examinations and prescriptions for refractive error were given to those who required it.  Among them 150 patients were referred for and administered Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) or cataract surgeries.

Cervical Cancer Vaccination Program
1st June
Grameenphone Ltd. will fund, for the first time in Bangladesh, a pilot vaccination program to prevent cervical cancer among economically disadvantaged young women. The vaccination program will be administered by Bangladesh Medical College Hospital in collaboration with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University and Harvard University. 
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer-related death in many developing countries. It affects relatively young women and it is the largest single cause of years of life lost to cancer in the developing world.
Under the pilot program, the vaccination will be administered among 30 economically disadvantaged young women.  

GP Signs MOU towards AIDS Prevention
22nd  June
Grameenphone embarked upon a CSR partnership with UNAIDS, a joint venture of the United Nations family, to build an AIDS-free Bangladesh through the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum (APLF). This is the continuation of the previous year’s campaign jointly initiated by Grameenphone and UNAIDS. APLF is part of the ‘World AIDS Campaign with Leaders’, which aims to create an enabling environment in support of policy action on HIV and AIDS.
The initiatives involves, eminent leaders of Bangladesh from different arenas namely the government, media, development, fashion, culture, and corporate. A Memorandum o Understanding (MOU) was signed between UNAIDS and Grameenphone on 22nd June, 2008 in this regard. Under the terms of the MOU, Grameenphone will work jointly with UNAIDS in their advocacy campaign to create awareness about HIV and AIDS to create a non-discriminatory and enabling environment for HIV and AIDS-affected individuals at the workplace and in the wider community.
One of the eight Millennium Development Goals for Bangladesh is to halt the spread of HIV and AIDS by 2015 and Grameenphone is committed to work closely with Bangladesh Government and concerned development agencies to achieve that target.

GP MT visits SMIC Clinic at Sylhet

29th  June
A team of senior officials of Grameenphone Ltd. visited a Smiling Sun Clinic at Taltola, Sylhet. This clinic is operated by a local NGO named SSKS and is one of the 319 static clinics under Smiling Sun network which is receiving support from Grameenphone under the ‘Safe Motherhood and Infant Care,’ project.

Khalid Hasan, Director, Corporate Affairs of Grameenphone conversed with some of the service recipients and service providers present at the clinic while he also sought their advice regarding further improvement opportunities.From August 2007 to May 2008, around 852,780 economically disadvantaged mothers and infants have received free healthcare services under this project.

Two of the eight Millennium Development Goals for Bangladesh are related to improving maternal health and reducing infant mortality rates and Grameenphone is working with relevant development agencies to support the Government in achieving these objectives. Under the Safe Motherhood and Infant Care Project, Grameenphone is investing in improving service quality and extending access to healthcare by recruiting additional community-based health-workers, upgradation of some of the existing static clinics into emergency obstetric care centers, as well as providing motorized vans (i.e. ambulances) and clinic-on-wheels.

Free Eye Camp at Sylhet

30th  June
This is the ninth free Eye Camp co-organized by Grameenphone and Sight Savers International to date.Around 12,000 patients have been directly benefited by this free eye-care support and a total of 1,333 cataract surgeries have been performed through these camps.
More than 1,241 patients arrived for care at the United Center. All the patients were given routine examinations and prescriptions for refractive error were given to those who required it.  Among them 200 patients were referred for and administered Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) or cataract surgeries. The Voluntary Association for Rural Development (VARD), Sylhet, was the local partner of the program.

Sets up Blood Bank with TMSS in Bogra

18th  August

 Grameenphone has inaugurated a full-fledged blood bank at one of Thengamara Mohila Sabuj Sangha (TMSS) health initiatives, the Rafatullah Community Hospital (RCH) in Bogra. This is the first and the largest blood bank in the northern region funded by a private organization. Safe blood transfusion is one of the most important pre-conditions for health safety. Grameenphone had provided financial assistance to TMSS to set up a full-fledged blood bank at the hospital, to ensure adequate resources required for safe and hygienic blood transfusions for every patient requiring blood at RCH, especially the underprivileged. Grameenphone also aims to create awareness among the mass for voluntary blood donation through this project.

The Rafatullah Community Hospital is located in Bogra right next to the Dhaka-Rangpur Highway, which is also an accident prone area, with a high incidence of need for surgeries and blood transfusion. In 2006, RCH transfused 1260 bags of blood to its patients. The surgery department of the hospital now takes complete shape with the establishment of this blood bank.

 Build Cyclone Shelter in SIDR-affected areas

20th  August
 Grameenphone Ltd. will provide financial assistance to build four cyclone-shelters in Bagerhat and Barguna districts, as part of the company’s rehabilitation plans in the SIDR affected areas. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in this regard between Grameenphone and Resource Development Fund (RDF) and Shushilan on 21st August, 2008.

The new cyclone shelters will be used as primary schools throughout the year to provide non-formal primary education to underprivileged children of the locality. RDF and Shushilan, local NGOs that operate in the selected areas, will be responsible for the overall management of the project, including the construction and operation of the schools. Each primary school cum cyclone-shelter will be a two storied building along with an adjacent playground.

 To continue partnership with Sightsavers

27th  August

Grameenphone Ltd. has renewed its partnership with Sightsavers International to provide free eye-care support to the economically disadvantaged people of the rural Bangladesh.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in this regard between Grameenphone and Sightsavers International on 27th August, 2008. The agreement was signed at the conclusion of the earlier partnership agreement between the two organizations, prevailing for last one year. Under the contract, GP and Sightsavers International will continue to jointly organize free eye-care camps in different parts of the country where eye-care services are not readily available.

Grameenphone, jointly with Sight Savers International, organizes the eye camps and provides associated actual cost for organizing the camps and also provide surgery costs which includes transportation and follow-up visit cost of patients. All patients registering for these camps are given routine examinations. Prescriptions for refractive error are given and Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) or cataract surgeries are administered to those who require it.

GP launches ‘Tathyo Tori’ with CARE

22nd  September

Grameenphone Ltd., in association with CARE Bangladesh, launched the ‘Tathyo Tori’ (Information Boat), a vessel designed to provide necessary livelihood information in the riverine communities of Bangladesh, at Dhirai, Sunamganj on 22nd September, 2008.

The Information Boats, which will move from one place to another on a fixed schedule, will work as an information hub to meet the communication needs of rural communities, especially the Char and Haor areas; people of these areas have limited access to up-to-date livelihood and other information due to their remoteness.

The main objective of this project is to both educate and empower the rural people with the necessary information for their livelihoods. The project will place specific focus on poor and marginalized people of the community.

Information boats will be equipped with digital content, such as livelihood and agricultural information, suited for the specific areas serviced by the boats. A typical Information Boat will have computers, Internet and email facilities, photocopiers, fax machines, printers, TV cameras and video machines, scanners, and more, depending on the needs of the community.

Illustrated Book on Liberation War published

21st  October

The publication ceremony “Tagra” – an illustrated book on the Liberation War – was held on 21st October, 2008.

‘Tagra’ is the first book of a series of publications, a joint initiative by Centre for Bangladesh Liberation War Studies and Grameenphone Ltd. Grameenphone is sponsoring the publication and distribution of these books on the Liberation War. The targeted beneficiaries are school children, from class iv to class viii, who will be provided with copies free of cost.

The Liberation War is the central component of Bangladesh’s history. This series of publications aims to present the untold heroics of the Freedom Fighters, essentially during frontal battles fought in the fields of Bangladesh, to the current generation. 

This is the eleventh free Eye Camp organized jointly by Grameenphone and Sightsavers International.  Bangladesh National Society for Blind (BNSB), Sirajganj is the local partner in this eye camp.

The turn-out of patients was quite high, with around 2000 patients arriving for care at the Tangail 'Vashani Hall'. All patients were given routine examinations and prescriptions for refractive error were given to those who required it. Among them more than 200 patients were referred for and administered Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) or cataract surgeries.

 Regional Talent Hunt for Special Olympics starts at Rajshahi

Grameenphone Ltd., in partnership with Special Olympics Bangladesh, organized a regional talent hunt for intellectually-challenged athletes.

The event starts with Rajshahi division at the Rajshahi Physical Training College on 19 November and conclude on 23 November, 2008.

The talent hunt was conducted under the guidance of specially-trained coaches from Special Olympics Bangladesh. There will be a total of seven disciplines - Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Bocce, Football, Table Tennis and Cricket, during the event.

Earlier in 2007, the Bangladesh Special Olympics Team, comprising of 47 participants, performed exceptionally well in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, winning a total of 71 medals. As the sole sponsor, Grameenphone provided necessary support and training for the athletes to participate in the Games.

Roundtable discussion on AIDS organized

A roundtable discussion on “Fighting AIDS and Role of Leadership,” was organized at the Prothom Alo office on 30 November 2008.

The roundtable on AIDS, organized by the Prothom Alo, with assistance from Grameenphone and UNAIDS, covered the AIDS/HIV situation in Bangladesh, the role of leadership to create awareness, factors related to rise of numbers of victims, and the roles of NGOs/Donors/Government/Private Sector. Mr. Motiur Rahman, Editor, Prothom Alo, conducted the session.

The discussion was part of the HIV/AIDS awareness campaign 2008. Grameenphone carried out a mass media campaign through November leading up to the World AIDS Day on December 1. The campaign highlighted messages from the five APLF champions with an objective to raise awareness and encourage an open and candid social dialogue on this crucial issue, and included talk shows on the private television channels, press advertisements, radio announcements and billboards.

Grameenphone to continue Safe Motherhood and Infant Care Project

Grameenphone Ltd. renewed the contract with Pathfinder International to provide free yet quality safe motherhood and infant care services to poor mothers and their infants throughout the country. An agreement was signed in this regard on 7th December, 2008.

This agreement is a continuation of the partnership between the two organizations prevailing since May 2007.

Under the agreement, Grameenphone, in partnership with Pathfinder International and USAID’s network of Smiling Sun clinics in 61 districts, will help to provide free professional primary healthcare services through 319 static clinics across the country. Grameenphone also aims to assist in necessary infrastructure development and extension of basic healthcare services, especially in the hard-to-reach and remote areas.

Grameenphone organizes Free Eye Camp at Moheshkhali

Grameenphone, jointly with Sightsavers International, organized a free Eye Camp at the Moheshkhali “Huanok Union Parishad" under MoheshKhali Upazila, on December 14, 2008.

This is the twelfth such camp organized jointly by Grameenphone and Sightsavers International. Cox’s Bazaar Baitush Shorf Hospital, Cox’s Bazaar, is the local partner in this eye camp.

The turn-out of patients was quite high, with more than 1405 patients arriving for care at the “Huanok Union Parishad", MoheshKhali. All patients were given routine examinations and prescriptions for refractive error were given to those who required it. Among them 225 patients were referred for and administered Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) or cataract surgeries.

Grameenphone publishes its first CSR Report

Grameenphone Ltd. publicly launched its first Corporate Social Responsibility Report at a simple ceremony, on 14th December, 2008, organized at a local hotel in Dhaka.

The report was unveiled by Oddvar Hesjedal, Chief Executive Officer of Grameenphone Ltd. in the presence of senior representatives from both the public and private sectors.

The objective of the publication was to create better understanding among the key stakeholder groups about Grameenphone’s good corporate governance practices and its contribution to the socio-economic development of the country. As a responsible and sustainable business, Grameenphone’s socio economic responsibilities extend beyond its financial performance.

While the report is focused on the most significant issues and goals, through the report, Grameenphone would like to stress that transparency and corporate responsibility are embedded in every single aspect of the company’s operations i.e. business, people, products, environment etc.

Grameenphone sponsors pilot Cervical Cancer vaccination program with BSMMU

Grameenphone Ltd. sponsored the Pilot Program for Prevention of Cervical Cancer by HPV Vaccination in Bangladesh, organized in collaboration with the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. The inaugural vaccination program was held at a local hotel today, 27 December, 2008.

The pilot vaccination program has been initiated to prevent the incidence of cervical cancer among economically disadvantaged young women. The program is being conducted by the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department of the BSMMU, the only post-graduate medical university in Bangladesh. The vaccination program is also being conducted under the technical guidance of the Harvard Medical School. 50 young women were vaccinated with the HPV vaccine at the conclusion of the inaugural program. All these vaccinated women will be followed up for at least five years to see the impact of the vaccine. Prof. Sultana Razia and Prof. Sabera Begum of BSMMU will be involved with the study.  The Harvard Medical School will conduct an impact study on the vaccination program. 

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in many developing countries.