Gonoshasthaya Kendra started in 1971 as a 480 bedded field hospital to provide health services to rural communities in Bangladesh. It has since expanded to become a pioneer in community-based primary health care, with 43 primary health centers and 6 referral hospitals serving over 1.2 million people across 631 villages. The organization trains and employs local women as health workers to deliver services like antenatal care, safe delivery, immunization, and treatment of common illnesses at the community level. Gonoshasthaya Kendra's innovative and affordable model focused on rural health access helped Bangladesh achieve its Millennium Development Goals for reducing child and maternal mortality rates.

1. (The People’s Health Centre)(The People’s Health Centre)
1

2. Red pin =There are six
Referral Hospitals
Blue pin = Primary Health
Center
District : 21
Upazila : 27
Union : 37
Static centre : 43
Referral hospital : 06
Population : 1253945

3. Pioneer organization in
building innovative, affordable
and accessible community
health care services for the
rural people.
Started in 1971 as a 480 bedded
Bangladesh Field Hospital at
the border of India
Registered as a public
Charitable Trust in 1972
3

4. Mission
 Grame Cholo Gram Goro “(Let us
go to Village and build Village)
Vision
 Fate of the poor decides the
progress of the country
 Development of the country
depends on development of
women
4
132 Eskaton Road, Dhaka

5. • To find ways and means for providing complete and
comprehensive health care delivery system
• To sponsor projects for the social and economical
development for poor people and particularly to restore
control by women.
• To launch some exemplary activities for the enlistment of
the fate of the general public which would influences on
all public or private future development planning
• To promote more self-reliance to reduce the tendency to
depend on others
Major Objectives

6. Some key points
Health service delivery taken as a key issue to
change the attitude of the people towards health
care
 Primary Health Care at Community level taken as entry point
 Female paramedic recruited for better acceptance
by the community
 Started first and only non GOB Paramedical Training Centre.
 Female worker started riding bicycle
(a revolutionary initiation in 1974)
Empower the ordinary people to look after their Health, Education
and income generation
In 1977 GK trained female worker to perform minilaparatomy
GK trained women in different vocational training including motor
driving
6

7. 7
GK commenced its journey withGK commenced its journey with
6 tents, 50 villages and with6 tents, 50 villages and with
health coverage of 50,000 peoplehealth coverage of 50,000 people
in 1972.in 1972.
The doctors and volunteersThe doctors and volunteers
resided in 6 tents to make healthresided in 6 tents to make health
care services accessible tocare services accessible to
people in the rural areas.people in the rural areas.

8. 8
- Educated village girls/women trained as health workers.
- Emphasis on providing mother and child health care services
eg. ANC PNC, child birth, immunization, health education,
treatments of common ailments, referral, providing essential
drugs etc.
- Providing services at community and doorstep by health
workers and specialized camps.
- Referral of complicated cases to secondary and tertiary care
hospitals.
GK’s health care model

9. Ante natal care (ANC)
Post natal care (PNC)
Safe delivery at home by TBA and paramedic
Blood transfusion at community level.
 Newborn and child care-(AMBU Bag And Foetal Monitor provided).
Family planning, Immunization,
Paramedic consultation in the community.
General Practitioner consultation at Health centers & Sub centers.,
Treatment of common diseases,
Eye sight testing and Dental Checkup
Provision of 100 essential drugs, Oxygen & IV Fluids.
Basic Blood, Stool, Urine, Cough and CSF Examination.
Blood transfusion facilities.
Minor Surgery (Removal of tumor, Circumcision etc) under local anesthesia.
Care for the destitute, elderly and disabled person
Community physiotherapy
Heath and Nutritional Education
School Health Education & health examination
Detection and treatment of NCDs
Referral to secondary and tertiary care hospital
Primary Health Care

15. During Disaster

16. Medical Team in natural calamity

17. 17
Paramedic TrainingParamedic Training
Paramedics Training in class roomParamedics Training in class room Bicycle TrainingBicycle Training
TBA trainingTBA trainingTBA trainingTBA training

18. 18
Health Services in Char AreaHealth Services in Char Area

19. 19
Rickshaw pullers and Van pullersRickshaw pullers and Van pullers
Cooperative Health ProgramCooperative Health Program

20. 20
1. Hazaribagh
2. Bottala
Pulpar
3. Adabar
4. Pallabi
5.
Kawranbazar
6. Koriel Bosti
7. Bagunbari
8. Sutrapur
1
8
2
3
4
6
5
7
GK Mobile clinic working at 8 pointsGK Mobile clinic working at 8 points

21. 21

22. Others program of Gonoshasthaya Kendra
i. Gonopatshala (Primary Education for the Poor)
ii. Gonoshasthaya Institute of Health Sciences
iii. Gono Bishwabidyalay- helpful to combat struggles of life
iv. Gonoprokashani (Publication Section)
v. Women’s Vocational Center)
vi. Gono Shilpalaya (Metal Workshop)
vii. Gono Kathkarkhana (Wooden furniture section)
viii. Women's Motor Driving School
ix. Gonoshasthaya Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
x. Gonoshasthaya Antibiotic Ltd.
xi. Gonoshasthaya Basic Chemicals Ltd.
xii. Gonoshasthaya Foods Ltd
xiii. Gonoshasthaya Credit Co-operative Society Ltd.
Xiv. Seasonal-Credit for Eradicating Poverty
xv. Gonoshasthaya Krishi Somobaya (Agriculture co-
operative)

23. Achieved MDG 4 & 5
GKs innovative approach has given good dividend
to achieve MDG 4 and 5. GK had achieved MDG 5.
Now MMR of GK working area is 168 per 100,000
Live birth, National is 194 (BMMS 2010). Also GK
has achieved MDG 4. Now IMR of GK working area
is 18/1000 live births, National is 43 (BDHS 2013)
Alma Ata declaration for Health-for-all in 1978
based on the experience of GK

25. Magsaysay Award

26. Right livelihood Award

27. Voluntary Health Association Award

28. 28
1972 Certificate of Commendation in 1972 for contribution to the freedom struggle for the liberation
of Bangladesh. The discovery of Penicillin was one of the milestones in the field of drug
manufacturing in the last century. One of those pioneer scientists Dr. Norman Heatly out of his
6 (six) vessels used for manufacturing Penicillin donated 1 (one) to Gonoshasthaya Kendra and
5(five) to Oxford University.
1974 Awarded the Swedish Youth Peace Prize in 1974 in recognition of his contribution in setting up
Gonoshasthaya Kendra, as a primary health care programme for the rural people utilizing rural
women and men in delivering health care.
1977
Bangladesh has Awarded the Independence Day Award, 1977 ( received in 1978), the
highest national award of recognition of his contribution to the development of primary
health care in Bangladesh and the delivery of family planning services at the grass roots level
1985 Awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, popularly known as the ‘Asian Nobel Prize’ in 1985,in
recognition of GK’s contribution in National Drug Policy in Bangladesh
2002 ”University of California, Berkeley honored Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury with International
“Heroes of Public Health Award in March, 2002
1992 Under his leadership in 1992 Gonoshasthaya Kendra was given the Right Livelihood Award,
popularly known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’, in recognition of its contribution to Primary
Health Care development in Bangladesh and its role in the introduction of a National Drug
Policy in Bangladesh.
1989 Moulana Bhasani Padak (Award)
1977 Shwadhinota Podok Independence Day award given by GOB in recognition of the services for
family planning
AWARDS:AWARDS:

29. Today GK has increased its
overage to more than 1.2
million rural population with 43
PHC centers in 631 villages
across the country with 6
referral hospitals.