GE Healthcare has been going full throttle with its global launch of GE’s new healthymagination initiative — with the rollout in Bangladesh four days ago having added significance. As part of the strategy, GE partnered with Grameen Bank of Bangladesh — the pioneering micro-financing organization that won the Nobel prize for its work to alleviate poverty. The goal of GE and Grameen: To break the barriers of inequality in health at birth and reduce maternal deaths. The work with Grameen is especially important, as it hits the three primary goals of healthymagination — improving quality, reducing costs, and increasing access — while simultaneously doing this in an underserved setting that can greatly impact lives. The video below shows Syed Omar Ishrak, President & CEO of GE Healthcare Systems, at the Shahrail Grameen Kalyan Clinic, 25 miles from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
As a first step of the Bangladesh launch on June 20, GE Healthcare trained eight paramedics and a physician from Grameen Kalyan Centers on the use of diagnostic imaging technology through a training institute in India. The Grameen Kalyan Centers are now empowered with three portable, battery operated LOGIQ Book Ultrasound systems that can take care to the doorstep of patients, wherever they are.
The long and winding road: This photo was shot on the way to Jamshahat Grameen Clinic about 25 miles from Dhaka — which is only reachable via a combination of roads, boats and rickshaws. The Grameen Centers are using the portable LOGIQ Books ultrasound technology, which is tied to the rickshaw, to identify risks in pregnant women in rural areas of Bangladesh. Since the introduction of this program in May 2009, 200 pregnant women have benefited from this project. GE Healthcare and Grameen aim to expand this program further in Bangladesh.
The video below explains the thinking behind our partnership with Grameen. It’s shot in Grameen Bank’s Prof. Muhammad Yunus Centre exhibit area — which is named for Grameen’s founder. In the background is a mural showing Mosammat Taslima Begum, representing Grameen Bank, and Prof. Muhammad Yunus, with their Nobel Peace Prize Diplomas and Medals that were awarded in 2006.
The Bangladesh launch of healthymagination is a next step in a partnership first announced in December 2008 between GE and Grameen Healthcare Trust, a sister company of Grameen Bank . The partnership focuses on finding ways to improve Grameen Healthcare Trust’s existing healthcare delivery systems and primary care clinics in rural Bangladesh. The goal is to replicate the social business model in other countries in order to address the needs of the 4 billion people around the world whose income is less than $3 a day.
Global dollars, local impact: This group of paramedics is also on the way to remote Jamshahat Grameen Clinic. GE will spend $3 billion globally over the next six years on research and development that will help deliver better care to more people at lower cost. In addition, GE will commit $2 billion of financing over the next six years to drive healthcare information technology and health in rural and underserved areas, plus $1 billion for partnerships, content and services. In total, GE will spend globally over $6 billion in six years on this initiative.
As part of the healthymagination initiative, GE has committed to expand its maternal infant care product offerings by 35 percent and grow its work with Grameen-like projects to 10 countries by 2015. The joint goal is now to create a sustainable rural health model that reduces maternal and infant mortality by more than 20 percent.
During this week’s healthymagination event in Bangladesh, GE Healthcare unveiled three new innovations targeted at the huge unmet clinical needs in Bangladesh: the MAC 400, a portable electrocardiograph; GE’s Lullaby Baby Warmer, which helps reduce infant deaths from hypothermia and asphyxia; and the LOGIQ P3, a portable ultrasound imaging system .
* Read the announcement about the June 20 launch in Bangladesh
* Learn more about the partnership with Grameen Healthcare Trust
* Read GE Reports’ coverage of the healthymagination launch
* Read GE Reports’ story about our Health Advisory Board
* Read about healthymagination’s work with electronic medical records
* Learn about our work in Cambodia
* Read our story about GE’s localized healthcare technology breakthroughs going global
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Gentlemen,
I am particularly impressed and pleased in reading about the healthymagination partnership program that Ge and Grameen heatlhcare trust. It is my wish to accomplish the same partnership and help to improve health care delivery in my home country of Nigeria. We have the network to help drive this process. I am resident here in the United states and will like to get in touch or be contacted by the individuals responsible with setting up such a live saving program.
I can be reached at 925-785-7016 cell or my email address as stated above will equally suffice for contacts and communications
Thank you
Humphrey Okeke
I am proud that pharmaceutical companies are being responsible by helping to transform the lives of poor people. I am originally from Bangladesh and I know the great work that Prof. Yunus has done through Grameen Bank. There are clearly health inequalities as the disparity between the rich and the poor increases.
I work for Pfizer Ltd. and they too are partners with Grameen and I am so proud to be working in an industry where pharmaceutical companies go beyond the call of duty to serve the poor. These fine examples are not normally shared by critics of the industry who perpetuate the false notion that pharma companies only care about profits and share-prices. Congratulations to GE for partnering with Grameen and hope your project is a success.
Hasan Ali Imam
Network Manager
Pfizer Ltd. (UK)
It’s really very admirable what you initiated in rural Bangladesh. In these ares there is a lack of every aspect of basic health care system. I think what we need say, for example in maternity is to set up a fixed clinic which can provide regular antenatal check up throughout the period of pregnancy particularly in the last trimester when the chance of complications are high. The same clinic can also provide basic care for delivery by trained midwives and other basic medical care. In fact in Bangladesh in rural areas ordinary women without even any basic knowledge for clenliness perform delivery. I still remember how my only sister died after delivery from tetanus because they used something horrible to cut the cord. Perhaps you can simple train some women who live in the villages as say village midwives. I hope G E will contiue this noble work and expand their horzon in more areas of health care. Thanks.
Dr.Ghani