Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), along with ICT-enabled healthcare platform Allwell BD Limited and leading pharmaceutical company Nuvista Pharma PLC, have launched a tripartite partnership for a digital hospital pilot project.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday (10 Dec) at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka.

The MoU was formally signed by BGMEA Senior Vice President Enamul Hoque Khan, Allwell BD Limited Chairman Mujahidul Hoque Abul Hasnat, and Nuvista Pharma PLC Managing Director S M Rabbur Reza.

The signing ceremony was chaired by BGMEA Senior Vice President Enamul Hoque Khan and attended by key figures, including former BGMEA administrator and Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Md Anwar Hossain.

Other attendees included BGMEA Vice President Md Shihab Uddoza Chowdhury, Directors Shah Raied Chowdhury and Mohammad Abdur Rahim, and high-ranking officials from all three organisations.

Under the terms of the MoU, each partner has a distinct role in bringing the innovative healthcare solution to fruition.

Allwell will provide the core ICT-enabled healthcare platform, ensuring 24/7 Digital General Practitioner (GP) consultations, follow-up services, and secure Electronic Health Record management.

Nuvista Pharma will co-finance the pilot project and establish a structured referral network, which will be crucial for easily accessible services, including critical gynaecological and reproductive healthcare for the female workforce.

The pilot phase will initially cover 5,000 workers, with a strategic plan to incorporate an additional 5,000 workers after three months.

The ultimate goal is to progressively scale the project to include all member factories.

This initiative is the latest in a series of continuous steps taken by the current BGMEA board to ensure the health and welfare of garment workers and owners, with the recent health-related initiatives being spearheaded by BGMEA Director Shah Raied Chowdhury.

During the ceremony, Anwar lauded the BGMEA’s commitment to worker health, saying, “Good health means good production. I hope other sectors will follow the example set by BGMEA.”

Enamul expressed his commitment to effective, innovative healthcare, noting that providing digital healthcare inside factories would play a revolutionary role in worker well-being.

“Through the telemedicine center, our female workers will be able to discuss their personal health issues,” he added, expressing hope that the collaboration would significantly enhance the healthcare system in member factories.

Reza emphasised the tripartite effort’s positive impact on nutrition and healthcare within the sector, particularly the opportunity it creates to deliver essential services to female workers.

Hasnat expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with BGMEA to deliver fast, technology-driven services in a factory-based health system, stressing Allwell’s core mission to ensure healthcare access anytime, anywhere.