BRAC launches its first clinic for middle income urban people

Feeling the need for well-equipped healthcare facilities for the middle income people in the urban areas, BRAC Healthcare Limited, a concern of BRAC Enterprises, launched its first healthcare centre at Kazipara in the capital’s Mirpur area on Thursday.

Tamara Hasan Abed, managing director of BRAC Enterprises, inaugurated the centre. BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh was also present at the inaugural programme.

The managing director said that the first branch of the countrywide healthcare network has been established with the promises of empathy and to become a patient-centred care proving initiative.

“BRAC Healthcare is a social enterprise and we envision establishing a chain of outpatient clinics in urban communities in every district-level municipality or town, making it the first point of care at the time of medical need,” she added.

As Bangladesh progresses fast, according to Tamara, over 30 million people transitioned into middle income people and to provide these people with better healthcare services, they are offering services at competitive prices and without compromising with the quality and ensuring full transparency. “So, their out-of-pocket expenses would be reduced.”

While explaining the way to reduce the out-of-pocket income, she further said that they might not give subsidies to many people among the target customers, but they have built the system in a way that the consultants (physicians) working here would never prescribe unnecessary tests.

According to BRAC Healthcare Ltd, they will provide high-quality medical services through its six service pillars, including family physicians and essential care, doctor consultations, health and wellness (physiotherapy, mental health, and nutrition), dental care, diagnostics and pharmacy.

The clinic will remain open from 9am to 10pm now and depending on the demand, it will be kept open round the clock.