•   Policy on gender, equal opportunities, social justice:

Goal:  To improve the conditions and contexts of women’s lives and the benefits that will accumulate when men and women are able to participate in working environment including support to achieve sustainable development between men and women.

Objectives:

1. To ensure women’s participation with men as a ‘Decision Maker’

2. To support women on their human rights

3. To ensure reflection of positive social value (Working culture, Social Class etc.) in women’s contribution to society

4. To improve responsibilities of sharing attitude between men and women in working place and their household

More than 50% women are working in DCH at head office

More than 80% are working in DCH field level

Typical fees for hospital-based service would be: medical officer consultation, Tk 10 for card holder, Tk 15 for non-cardholder, special consultation Tk. 200. Hospital bed per day Tk 50 general ward, cabin Tk 600, Cabin A/C Tk. 1000. Total costs for major surgery Tk. 6000-10,000; typical costs commercial hospital would be Tk. 20,000 – 30,000.
 
Dhaka Community Hospital indoor department has 75 beds and an operation theatre complex. Besides, DCH runs the following health programs:
 

DCH run a modern diagnostic center where various examinations tested at nominal fee. The rate is lower by 30% to 40% that the same of other diagnostic centers at Dhaka. The following investigations are carried out through the diagnostic center:
 

• Pathology
• X-rays
• ECG
• Ultra Sound
• Testing Water for Arsenic Contamination
• Bacteriological Test

This program is being implemented in urban & rural schools. The children are the target beneficiary. Students are provided with ‘Health Card’ against a nominal monthly fee. The doctors of DCH visit the schools once a week and provide Medicare services to the cardholder students. They also receive thorough medical check-up every year. The card is renewable on yearly basis. 12 schools are receiving these services at present.
 

Under this program Medicare services are provided to the worker/employee of any industrial unit especially garments as requested by the owner of the industry. Each worker/employee is provided with a ‘Health Card’ against a nominal monthly fee  based on the number of worker/employee. The doctors of DCH provide health and Medicare services to the card holders once a week in their working place. They also receive yearly thorough medical check-up and referral service to DCH. 24 industrial units are receiving these services at present.
 

Under this program, any family can get ‘Family Health Card’ against yearly payment of  a small amount money. Any ailing member of the cardholder family can receive the services of an out patient specialist doctor managed and financed by the local community. Besides, if the family wants to get other services of DCH they will receive 10 percent commission on the overall expenditure of the treatment. The card is renewable every year.
 

Dhaka Community Hospital has been implementing its own Community based health Program throughout Bangladesh. In the River Basin areas of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Jamalpur and Shariatpur, Kishorganj, Faridpur, Noakhali, Madaripur, Pabna, Kushtia, Tangail, Sylhet, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Rajbari, Bogra, Shathkhira, Jamalpur.  DCH has been implementing health program in collaboration with local char partners & rural health organizations with the active financial support by Oxfam and DCH own capacity. In emergency cases, the doctor will attend the cardholder at his/her home.
 

DCH has a well-equipped training division  with highly qualified and trained manpower. It regularly provides training to doctors, nurses, paramedics, community health & development  workers and TBA and village doctors. Currently it has been organized a series of training program for the paramedics of both rural and urban area on child survival component of the Essential Services Packages, the  core of HPSP. Each training program is designed before its commencement through a panel of trainers discussion and curriculum if prepared. It has a training venue with all other necessary training materials. Headed by a co-ordinator, the division is having a number of quality trainers of different discipline. Consultants of different discipline also acts as faculty when necessary.
 

DCH arranges need based special programs like annual health camps at rural health program’s areas, diarrhoea camps during outbreaks, medical team and field hospital for cyclone victims and all disaster etc.
 

The Institute of Community Health-Bangladesh started from Feb. 2001. The institute runs Short Courses, Diploma courses, Postgraduate diploma Courses. Masters courses will be started very soon on Health Delivery System. Courses are as under:
 

• Certificate course on Physiotherapy
• Certificate course on Pathology
• Certificate course on Pharmacology
• Long Course on Physiotherapy
• Diploma on Physiotherapy – 3yrs
• BPT – 4yrs degree course
• MPH ( Family Medicine, Community Health, Health Education, Epidemiology, Maternal & Child Health)
• MBBS

The above courses are approved by the Govt. of Bangladesh.
 

Among the non-government organizations, Dhaka Community Hospital played the pioneering role in bringing the arsenic issue into limelight. The DCH deserves the sole credit of detecting the serious health hazards caused by arsenic contamination in ground water of the country. In 1996 the doctors of DCH while operating an annual health camp at Pakshey in Pabna district found some patients affected with diseases caused by arsenic. DCH run some sustainable arsenic program on arsenic affected areas:
 

• Testing Tube-well
• Awareness campaign
• Patient identification
• Patient management
• Mitigation
• Action Research

For special programs like health camp, field hospital for cyclone victims, camp during diarrhoea outbreak etc. DCH collaborates with local NGOs like Oxfam, Radda Burnen, Disaster Forum, CARE, CARITUS, Mother Teresa Home, Save the Children (UK). On international arena it has exchange program with British General Practitioners' Association and collaboration on arsenic program with the School of Environmental Studies (SOES), Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India. To combat serious arsenic health problem, the DCH formed Arsenic Action Group (AAG) involving various local and foreign organizations and government institutions which include UNDP, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AusAID, DFID, NIPSOM, WHO, UNICEF, SOES, CIDA, CSIRO, Asia Arsenic Network, Caritas, Oxfam, Water Aid, DASHCO, Disaster Forum, NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation. To increase public awareness on arsenic pollution the AAG took initiative to build a cooperative social movement by exchanging information and keeping contact with various organizations.

DCH also works with Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Ministry of Social welfare, Ministry of Local Govt. Rural Development and Cooperative, Ministry of Science and Technology etc.