BGMEA, DMCH willing to collaborate on workers’ healthcare

A delegation of BGMEA headed by President Faruque Hassan paid a courtesy call on Brigadier General Nazmul Haque, director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Monday.

BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President Nasir Uddin, Assistant Director of DMCH Ashraful Alam, Associate Professor at DMCH Imdadul Haque were present on the occasion, reads a press release.

They discussed how BGMEA and Dhaka Medical College Hospital can collaborate to ensure that garment workers and employees get healthcare services on a priority basis. 

Faruque Hassan said BGMEA places utmost importance to ensuring healthcare facilities for RMG workers who are the main driving force behind Bangladesh's apparel industry.

Improving health and wellbeing of the garment workers has always been a priority for BGMEA and the industry as a whole, he said.

BGMEA runs 12 health centers that provide healthcare facilities and medicines to more than 60,000 garment workers per year at free of cost. The centers also hold awareness programmes on HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis, reproductive health and use of contraceptives. Moreover, for RMG workers, a full-fledged hospital is operational in Chittagong, he informed.

BGMEA in collaboration with the government and development partners has also been implementing various projects for ensuring workers' health.   

The trade association has taken various steps including factory health and safety protocols, telemedicine, collaboration with Maya, CommonHealth to protect the workers and the industry from the ongoing pandemic.