Global Compact International Yearbook Ausgabe 2011

Best Practice
Development
ACI
ACI Contributes Where
Others Do Not
By Muallem A. Choudhury and Dr. Rumana Dowla
Following its core values, ACI seeks to play a part in
improving the quality of people’s lives through the creation
of new jobs and offerings services to people. Based on this
belief, the Medical Information and Research Team as well
as the Medical Services Department of ACI Pharmaceuticals
partnered with CARE Bangladesh – an international
development agency – to initiate a healthcare project under
the name Amar Shasthya, which stands for “my health.”
Commencing in May 2009, the initiative
has undertaken activities with the
intent to reach the most underprivileged
section of the population living in the
most isolated and remote parts of the
country, literally, where no access to
medical services of any kind is available.
Total lack of health services in such rural
regions has been a growing concern
that ACI felt could be mitigated with the
helping hands of corporate organizations.
What many thought to be rather
impossible has been done by ACI with
a simple and innovative solution. To allow
the team to overcome the transport
difficulty in reaching the water-clogged
areas, Tothya Tori, or the "Information
Boat,", which was utilised by ACI and
Care, was built and well-equipped with
computers,Internet, and other prerequisite
facilities to ensure access and
service even to the most isolated parts
of the country. Armed and ready, ACI
and CARE have since provided medical
facilities to the seven camps in various
locations. Hence, such initiatives from
ACI have led to a remarkable increase
in service satisfaction, thereby spreading
the company’s goodwill among the
needy villagers.
Initially, the program was dedicated
for the impoverished people of
the Haor, or “water-clogged,” region
adjacent to the Sylhet, Shunaganj, and
Kishoreganj districts of Bangladesh. The
locals on the expanse of wetlands are
housed on remote and secluded islands
called Aatis. They do not have clean
water access or proper sewerage and
are therefore prone to water-borne diseases,
skin diseases, eyesight problem,
arthritis, gastric-related issues, chest
pains, allergies, heatstroke, regular fever,
maternal health issues, etc. Moreover,
because the government-run THC (Thana
Health Centre) of the Upazila Sadar (Sub-
District) is hours away, health clinics
at the union level as well as qualified
doctors are lacking in this rural region,
where “village doctors” have flourished
despite inadequate medical knowledge
and technological know-how.
In addition, for an individual earn-
ing on average Tk. 100 ($1.37) a day,
paying a thousand Taka ($13.70) for a
doctor’s visit from Upazila (for transportation,
medicine, fees, etc.) is not
only highly expensive but impossible
for poor villagers to afford. As a result,
while some manage by borrowing from
others, some completely skip the visits;
only the comparatively well-off may find
themselves fortunate enough to afford
such quality medical services.
Amar Shasthya is currently operating
devotedly in selected areas of the
country that lack medical aid of any
kind. The locations include places like
Sunamganj and Kishoreganj, most parts
of which are totally inaccessible for half
of the year by any means of transport
other than boat. Under sponsorship of
the company, the communities are provided
with doctors, medicines, follow-up
sessions, and camp-day management.
The project sets up medical camps,
which are built in local high schools, as
those offer the only proper infrastructure
in any village. The field staff of CARE
are entrusted with the responsibility of
organizing the camps. The staff consult
with the boat manager and finalize the
location of the camp. After that the staff
and boat personnel visit the proposed
camp site a couple of times to talk to
the local authorities, school headmaster,
teachers, and other people regarding the
camp. Upon finalization of choosing
the school venue, ACI is notified of the
location and a date is fixed.
In the meantime, ACI and its regional
office send doctors (normally two) to
the camp. Prior to the camps being set up,
the boat authorities run a promotional
activity in the area of the camp. Horns
are hired to make prior announcements
about the camp. Tokens for the camp are
distributed simultaneously in the boat
and in the villages before the camp is
built. Normally 120 tickets are distributed
for a day-long visit to the camp. The
tickets are issued at a very nominal price
to respect the dignity of the poor villagers
who are buying the service. Though
the demand is even higher, this is the
number of patients that two doctors can
examine within four hours.
Reportedly, a total of 877 patients received
treatment in the last period from
Amar Shasthya for various health issues,
including gastrointestinal issues, eye
problems, conjunctivitis, various skin
diseases, malnutrition, and reproductive
diseases. Under Amar Shasthya, patients
were treated in camps by doctors. Some
women even claimed that Dr. Rumana
Dowla – Project Manager in charge of
Amar Shasthya and Coordinator and
Manager from ACI (Medical Information
and Research) – was the first female
doctor they had seen in their whole life.
Does this help?
This humanitarian response for the remote
people of the Haor region not only
brought relief to these medically deprived
people, it also gave them proper medicines,
all for free. On the other hand, this
also allowed ACI to earn well-deserved
goodwill and respect in the communities.
The general population considers
the project activities as being extremely
beneficial from every aspect. People have
access to quality doctors and medicine,
even though it is limited. Health camps
for general medical checkups as well
as eye camps and supplies of complete
courses of medicine are greatly valued by
the locals as well. The only area where
the project currently needs to do more is
to carry out increased follow-up sessions.
Through these activities, we believe that
ACI has already undertaken steps to
confront health issues in Bangladesh.
The company promises to go to the next
level to help out the distressed. Though
some might consider it as just a few drops
in the ocean, we at ACI believe it is the
start of a noble cause. A lot more can be
done with such cost-effective and simple
initiatives, and by partnering with the
right organizations, it can lead to much
greater impacts.
Future steps
The Amar Shasthya health initiative will
be continued and expanded to other similar
“Information Boats” run by CARE in
the Haor region. Expansion would help
these poor people further by including
people from the neighboring villages.
CARE has been working in the region
for a long time and has access to and
information about the place. ACI is in a
great position to use its links and make
an impact from a socially responsible
perspective.
Facts
Advanced Chemical Industries
Limited (ACI) was established originally
as the subsidiary of Imperial
Chemical Industries (ICI) in the
then East Pakistan in 1968. Today
it is one of the largest conglomerates
in Bangladesh. It started in
the pharmaceuticals business, but
now has expanded its interests to
consumer, commodity, agricultural,
and packaging products and has
also recently started in the retail
business. With 13 subsidiaries and
8 areas of expertise, it has almost
7,000 employees. ACI’s mission
is to enrich the quality of life of
people through the responsible application
of knowledge, skills, and
technology.
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