In May, 2009, GHS established its second eye hospital at Rupatali in Barishal District, about 260 km south from Dhaka. Hospital is named Grameen Green Children (GC) Eye Hospital since Green Children Foundation, USA has contributed half million US Dollar for the hospital. The catchment area of the hospital is Barishal and Jhalokathi districts which are 3534 sq.KM and population of the catchment area is 3.04 million.

How Grameen GC Eye Hospital, Barishal works-

Grameen G.C. Eye Hospital, Barishal is providing services by well trained and experienced Ophthalmologists, Ophthalmic Assistants and the hospital staffs. Hospital staffs are trained from Aravind Eye Care System, India. Hospital is using modern equipment and latest technology for identifying problems and treating eye patients. The Doctors are specialized in performing cataract surgery by using Phaco emulsification machine. GHS has been supported by SEVA Foundation,USA and Aravind Eye Care System,India in human resource development of its 2nd hospital.

Services

Grameen GC Eye Hospital, Barishal is providing eye care services in two way to ensure eye care services to the all classes of the community -

1. At hospital and

2. At the satellite camp, organized in the remote most area

At hospital, GHS hospitals are providing services eye examination & consultation by Ophthalmologist, investigation of eye diseases, cataract surgery, other eye surgery on Orbit & Oculoplasty, Glaucoma, Cornea etc.

At the camp (community outreach program), patients are getting eye examination and prescription, required diagnostics services etc. Patients identified for surgery is brought to hospital and performed surgery at hospitals operation theater and brought to their their locality after surgery.(Details of Community Outreach Program/ Eye Camp)

Price of Services

At the hospital, registration fee is only BDT 100 ( $ 0.92). Patients gets eye examination and prescription by the registration fee. There are different types of services available for people of different classes of the community. Patients have option to choice their package of services depending upon their ability to pay.

There are various types of Cataract Surgery packages which starting from BDT 5,000 ($46.29) to BDT 75,000 ($694.44) depending upon IOL and technique using in the surgery. Other eye surgeries are provided at BDT 1,000 ($9.25) to BDT 5,500 ($50.921).

At the camp (community outreach program), patients are getting all services (eye examination and prescription, required diagnostics services etc.) free of cost. Cataract surgery is also free for poor and destitute. Subsidized rate of cataract surgery for the camp patients is BDT 2,650 ($24.53) but who cannot afford the cost are being subsidized.

Services Grameen GC Eye Hospital-Barishal

1. Consulatation

2. ECCE/SICS With Rigid IOL

3. Phaco With Foldable IOL

4. ECCE

5. Corneal Repair

6. Stich Removal

7. Removal of Corneal F.B

8. Dressing

9. Inj.sub con.Substenon

10. Tarsorrahaphy

11. Release of Tarsorrhaphy

12. Trabeucubetomy

13. Epilation

14. Entropion/Ectropion Correction

15. Lid Repair

16. Enucleation/Evisceration

17. Chalazion

18. DCT

19. DCR

20. Pterygium(Simple)

21. Pterygium(Graft)

22. Eye Camp

23. Health Education

Performance of the Barishal Hospital

Grameen GC Eye Hospital, Barishal rendered services to 9,39,336 patients from its inception to 31th December 2023. Among them 1,74,681 patients have been treated at free of cost in the eye camps organized weekly in the remote areas. This hospital performed 44,989 eye surgeries from the inception to December 2023. Among the surgery 35,836 are cataract surgeries. Hospital provided free of cost cataract surgery to 9,773 poor and destitute patients.

NOTABLE FEATURES OF GHS EYE HOSPITALS

• Cross subsidy: earning from the rich patients are used for subsidizing the poor and destitute

• Community Outreach Program or Satellite program well known as Eye Camp to reach to the poor and provide services free of cost

• The hospitals charge only BDT 100 for outpatient services;

• The above mentioned services are provided at free of charges in the eye camps at remote villages operated by the hospitals;

• Distressed, poorest and helpless patients get free surgery from these hospitals;

• The eye camp patients get subsidy package for eye surgery only by BDT 2,650;

• For low income, middle class and well off patients there are several options/packages for surgery which they can choose according to their affordability.

• Staffs are trained from Aravind Eye Care System, India.

• Introduced new treatment protocol and system in the area

Future Plan of the Hospital

1.Introduction Super specialty Eye care services on Glaucoma and Pediatrics.

2. Establishment of training center for Doctors and health care staffs.

3.Establishment of Vision centers /Consultation centers.