SMILING SUN FRANCHISE PROGRAM (SSFP)

SSFP aims to expand the availability of sustainable NGO-provided health services and products and to support the GOB to achieve its health targets. The project works in rural and urban areas across Bangladesh and addresses issues related to gender, youth, and corruption to ensure the broadest possible access to health services.

Between October 2007 and September 2011, this four-year project will create an independent health franchise system building on an existing national network of clinics run by local NGOs. Through the franchise model, the project will work with the existing network of NGOs to transform them into a viable social franchise system. This franchise will provide expanded high quality health services while generating sufficient income to support approximately 70% of the operational costs while maintaining access to those who cannot afford to pay for services. This double bottom-line approach is a unique feature of SSFP. In other words, SSFP will help franchisee organizations (i.e., NGOs) to expand the range of health services they can provide, increase service coverage to the poor, and maintain quality. The project will also help franchisees in the areas of cost efficiencies and underwrite services for the poorest segments of the population.

The project uses a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) methodology where the program will develop the local Franchise Manager Organization into an operational entity that can assume franchise operations by the end of the project.

SERVICE CATEGORIES

Currently, 29 NGOs are providing health care services to women, children and youth through 320 static and 8,500 satellite clinics in 61 districts of Bangladesh. The smiling sun network provides quality health services, making twenty-two million customer contacts a year, through 5,000 trained staff at the clinics and 6,500 Community Service Providers serving their local areas. The following list includes some of the customer-preferred quality health services provided at Smiling Sun (SS) clinics.

• Reproductive Health encompassing maternal health, family planning and management of RTIs/STIs - Maternal health including antenatal, intra-natal, postnatal and post-abortion care. Some SS clinics provide home delivery services by trained paramedics. Each year 1.2 million women receive antenatal care and half a million postnatal care from the Smiling Sun network. - Available family planning services range from a variety of temporary to permanent methods.

• Child health services are offered in the form of both community and facility based Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) and vaccination against seven childhood diseases is provided through SS clinics.

• In line with the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP), Smiling Sun clinics offer Directly
Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) and microscopy services in four city corporations (Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi).

• Consultation along with dispensing of essential drugs and diagnostic laboratory services are also offered from SS clinics. Additionally, many clinics operate health care marts, offering quality packaged consumer goods within easy-reach of the customers.