Digital Hospital lends helping hand to human traffic victims

The Digital Hospital project is providing 24/7 free doctor calls and up to Tk 1 lakh free health cashback as financial aid in rehabilitating men and women who have escaped human trafficking.

Digital Hospital is an innovative digital healthcare provider based in Bangladesh which has recently partnered with Ashshash project supported by Switzerland and implemented by Winrock International in Bangladesh on December 2, said in a press release.

They are currently implementing the project in the 5 most trafficking prone districts in Bangladesh: Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Khulna, Satkhira, and Jashore.

Andrew Smith, CCO and Co-founder of Digital Hospital said, “Most people who escape trafficking experience psychological, emotional, and physical trauma. They also have difficulties reintegrating into their families and communities (due to social stigma) a key element of healthy and productive lives.

“Ashshash works to deliver counseling, legal services and economic empowerment support to these men and women and now Digital Hospital has joined them to provide the much-needed healthcare services victims of human trafficking need but often times are unable to get due to cost and in accessibility. We will always provide health related support to any/all segments of the society, surpassing all social geographical barriers as we believe everyone deserves good health,” he added.

Digital Hospital’s health package Shadhin provides free 24/7 doctor calls, up to 150 minutes per month for both the user and his/her family; up to Tk 1 lakh Free Health Cashback as coverage for hospital stay; and Covid-19 isolation coverage for Tk 5,000 and Tk 1,600 for OPD coverage for 3 months.

The package also includes up to 35 percent discount on products/services in over 1,000 hospitals, pharmacies, and diagnostic centres all over the country.

Furthermore, the beneficiaries will also be provided with access to appointment-based consultations with specialist doctors, health camps, and online training for various health issues.

By the end of the project in 2022, Ashshash envisions helping a large group of men and women, who have escaped trafficking to build their lives back up again in various ways, including affordable and quality health services for its beneficiaries to ensure their improved health condition.

The health services will be provided in collaboration with its social protection partners such as Caritas, Agrogoti Sangstha, Centre for Women and Children Studies (CWCS), Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) and Rights Jassore.

After repatriation and rescue, men and women who have escaped trafficking may suffer from a range of physical problems due to inhumane living conditions, poor sanitation, inadequate nutrition and poor personal hygiene, brutal physical and emotional abuse, dangerous workplace conditions and general lack of quality medical care.

Furthermore, trafficked women frequently face an additional challenge of social stigma against them.

Therefore, Ashshash provides need-based and trauma-informed psychosocial counselling to men and women who have escaped trafficking to assist them in rebuilding their sense of self, recognizing their vulnerability, and strengthening their resiliency.

According to a report at 200,000 people were trafficked out of Bangladesh in the last 10 years.

Also, as per various reports due to the devastating impact of the pandemic on the poor, many experts are assuming that human trafficking might increase further in the coming years as many people will try to look for opportunities to get out of financial hardship and human traffickers will take advantage of this.