2. Current Health Care Scenario in Bangladesh
The demographic growth rate in Bangladesh suggests that it is an overly populated country. The current population
of Bangladesh is 163,728,985 as of Tuesday, December 6, 2016, based on the latest United Nations estimates. To
provide medical facilities to this large population, there are 1683 hospitals in Bangladesh as per a report of
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BIS) made in 2015. Of those 1683 hospitals, 678 were government hospitals and
1005 were non-governmental. In addition to those medical hospitals, there are a great number of private clinics,
diagnostic centers and private chambers of doctors. In 2014, the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC)
published detailed information of 60,000 registered doctors and dentists on its website. Majority of them treat their
patients in private chambers besides working in government or private hospitals. The number of manpower
involved in medical industry and its strength are supposed to suffice in providing adequate medical services to the
common masses. But the reality is quite the opposite, as a large number of patients are not well treated at the first
hand. They have to run after doctor to doctor owing to have no concrete idea about the specialization and expertise
of the physician. Moreover, finding and booking the doctor is strenuous and time consuming for the patients. They
have to experience unavoidable hassles if they do not have records of previous medical checkups that the doctors
may ask for.
Introduction of eHealth Care
Technology in health Care industry has a long history of success. In consideration to the rapid healthcare
technology, the progress in treatment issues gives an impressive better look. A close observation & research has
concluded with an interesting finding. It found that the procedural, communication & long term monitoring issues
between patients & doctors are suffering from the absence of proper implementation of technology. The problem is
acute in developing countries for not to assimilate IT with above mentioned sophisticated & integral ingredients of
proper & quality health care industry.
3. In developing countries, like Bangladesh preventable diseases and premature deaths still inflict a high toll. Inequity of access to
basic health services affects distinct regions, communities, and social groups. Under-utilization of ICT resources in the health sector
in most countries has led to quantitative and qualitative deficiencies in service delivery which is growing gaps in facility and
communication. Inefficient allocation of scarce resources and lack of coordination among key stakeholders have made duplication of
efforts, overlapping responsibilities, and resource wastage common and troublesome problems. ICT has the potential to make a
major contribution to improve access and quality of services while containing costs. Improving health involves improving public health
and medical programs designed to provide elective, emergency, and long-term clinical care; educating people; improving nutrition
and hygiene and others. Additionally creating a history of individual patients to know what are the facilities they are getting from
government and other private health care providers are also important to track, know and ensure a better health care
service.
As an effect of the ageing of the population in general, the number of citizens with chronic diseases are increasing, especially among
elderly people. This is a great challenge for both the well-being of the citizens and the public health care systems. Health care
solutions provided by information and communication technology (ICT) offer one solution to this problem. The tools and services
which contribute to eHealth provide better and more efficient health care services for all. Simultaneously, keeping a track of the aging
populations’ diseases can be important to measure their conditions, change treatment plan & arrange other facilities and so on.
Currently we all know that everyone were to have access to basic IT technology, such as mobile phones and personal computers
even if rural areas, the use of ICT in health care is not self-evident. Bangladesh has achieved impressive improvements in population
health status by achieving MDG by reducing child death before the 2015 target, and rapidly improving on other key indicators
including maternal death, immunization coverage, and survival from some infectious diseases including malaria, tuberculosis, and
diarrhea. Presently, number of steps has been taken by the government to improve quality of services, especially to reach the poor
and the disadvantaged. Initiatives for development of new health policy, revitalization of primary health care by making all community
clinics functional with required human resource, supplies and logistics, recruitment and appropriate
4. deployment of human resource for health and gradual extension of e-health services to the rural areas are some of the
examples for health development in the- country. The health sector has always relied on technologies. ICTs are only
one category of the vast array of
technologies that may be of use. Given the right policies, organization, resources, and institutions, ICTs can be powerful
tools in the hands of those working to improve health. The methods people use to communicate with each other have
also changed significantly. Mobile telephony, electronic mail and videoconferencing offer new options for sharing
perspectives. Digital technologies are making visual images and the voices of people more accessible through radio,
TV, video, portable disk players and the Internet, which change the opportunities for people to share opinions,
experience, and knowledge. This has been coupled with steps to deregulate the
telecommunications and broadcast systems in many countries including Bangladesh which open up spaces and
platforms for increased communication. Reliable information and effective communication are crucial elements in public
health practices. The use of appropriate technologies can increase the quality and the reach of both information and
communication. Increased information helps people to improve their own health. At the same time, social organizations
help people achieve health through health care systems and public health processes. For the doctors, it is difficult to get
patients on a regular basis if they are not practicing in well-known hospitals. When it comes to private doctor’s
practicing, the potential target customers are mostly local area people who know the chamber. Therefore, there is a
great lack of visibility. On top of that, a lot of hospitals, especially low to mid-tier, don’t even have any online presence.
Consequently, they get patients only from local areas but fail to widen the market for their services. Furthermore, the
manual appointment booking process and inefficient call centers make it difficult to get appointments for the patients.
Therefore, there is always a communication gap between the patients and doctors.
Inasmuch as, the lack of easier connectivity among the doctors and patients plays the key role behind the above
mentioned difficulties, a comprehensive intervention to build smooth connectivity is required and would be viable
solution to the problems. The use of ICT components is being bolstered and increasing rapidly in Bangladesh, as the
government is taking the
5. country forward to make her digitalized and implement Vision 2021. Hence, the ICT components
based intervention would be more time-befitting which has occurred to the founders of the
company. As the problems are related to the connectivity which can be prescribed to ICT based
solution, the founders have come up with tech based intervention.
Project Profile
Considering the above scenario a tech-based company is considering launching a software
application to facilitate the government’s initiatives further by providing additional health services
to people from rural and urban areas through technology. It will also work improving health
awareness & doctor-patient relationship. To fulfill these core objectives along with other ones, the
company is deciding to offer a SAAS based software solution which will help to ensure a better
treatment by recording the history of the patients and delivering them whenever is needed.
Through the practice management solution doctors can be one step closer to their patient with
this software. They can visit patients profile anytime, keep a track of their health record and advise
them accordingly. Simultaneously, this electronic medical record can build up a huge patient health
record database which can be used for much other governmental research, health care
improvement and others.
On the basis of reality scanning now the company is facing the challenge to brand their service of
improving doctor-patient relationship.
6. Tasks :
1. Situation analysis
2. Develop a branding plan (Using brand building basics) for
the particular software. The plan must
include
• Name, Logo
• Brand Mantra
• Brand positioning for both ends ( Patient & Doctors)
3. Identify potential brand awareness programs
4. Find strategies to manage the brand and enhance brand
equity over the time
5. Budget determination
7.
8. 1 2 3
Faysal Ahmed Likhon Mahiul Islam Sohan Fahim Hossain Nitol
19. This software system
will allow to connect
people with doctors
through database
which will give
access over
information to the
both parties
This system will be
one sided access only.
Will not be user-
friendly system. As
patients or general
people will not have
instant notification
and information
This will have
maximum reach
over population but
will not include
people with no id
card who’re seeking
health information
alternatives
24. Doctors Patient
Server
Mobile/Web app Mobile/Web app
Patient’s historyPatient’s info
Doctor’s info Digital Prescription
Major health concern Call Center
Over the air counseling