NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG, a world-leading satellite operator, and FRIENDSHIP, a non-governmental organisation, with technical assistance of Square Informatix (Bangladesh) Ltd, launched the first state-of-the-art Maritime VSATs on three of FRIENDSHIP’s floating hospital ships yesterday at Char Dakatia under Dewanganj thana in Jamalpur.
The ships are Emirates Friendship Hospital, Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital and Rongdhonu Friendship Hospital.
Emirates is now in Jamalpur while Lifebuoy in Bogra’s Sariakandi and Rongdhonu in Kutubdia.
Each ship will provide health service in two to three upazilas.
“Our three ships and 437 satellite clinics including 555 Friendship Community Members will reach around 250,000 people in our project areas,” said Enamul Haque, team leader of health and communication of FRIENDSHIP.
“We provide reproductive health services, maternity health care, child health, eye care, dental care including operation services, X-ray, ECG and other pathological services.
“Under the operation service, we will provide burn surgery, orthopedic surgery, harnia operation, hydrocil operation, tumour operation, cataract surgery and family planning,” he added.
“This is a great initiative in the country that our char people are now able to get a better quality treatment through the satellite e-health programme,” said chief guest at the inauguration Nasrul Hamid Bipu, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources.
“Despite huge resources in the health sector, we have management problems. However, such a project will play an important role in promoting our health sector, and will add more efficiency and support.”
Runa Khan, founder and executive director of FRIENDSHIP, described the project as a great illustration of a true partnership between governments, the private sector and NGOs.
“Mutual trust and collaboration can lead to greater benefits that directly impact the beneficiaries.
“The project gives us a tool with which we are able to bring in specialised services of e-learning, specialised back office resources and training,” she said.
“After implementing SATMED platform tools and services, the ship hospitals will be able to support and facilitate work in the areas of e-care, e-surveillance, e-health management and digital imaging,” said Gerhard Bethscheider, managing director of SES TechCom Services.
