Grameenphone wins global award
(Barcelona, Feb 13 2007) Grameenphone Ltd. was presented with the GSM Association's Global Mobile Award for ‘Best use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development' for its HealthLine Service at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.
Competitive category
The award was presented to Grameenphone CEO Erik Aas, during the GSMA's Annual Leadership Summit, in front of an audience of industry leaders and government Ministers from around the world.
"This was a very competitive category, we received more than 60 entries from operators, manufacturers, NGOs, charities and businesses and our independent judging panel had a real challenge on their hands to select a winner," said GSMA Chief Executive, Rob Conway." Healthline is a lifeline, particularly for mobile users in remote areas, our warmest congratulations to Grameenphone."
Facilitate the socio-economic development of Bangladesh
The HealthLine Service, implemented in cooperation with the Telemedicine Reference Center Limited, is a 24-hour Medical Call Center manned by Licensed Physicians and accessible to all Grameenphone subscribers.
"This is a great honor for Grameenphone. The GSMA award is a recognition of the initiatives taken up by Grameenphone to further facilitate the socio-economic development of Bangladesh," says Erik Aas, CEO of Grameenphone.
"Grameenphone and the mobile industry represent a major part of the development of Bangladesh, and this initiative shows our commitment to the development of the country, the people and their well-being. The HealthLine Service will make primary health care services more accessible to a large number of people."
An interactive teleconference
The HealthLine Service is an interactive teleconference between a GP caller seeking health- related advice or consultation and a licensed physician who would be available on a 24 hours a day and 7 days a week basis, to receive such calls. This effort of GrameenPhone is primarily intended to enhance the health consciousness of an individual by making a few categories of health information and medical services readily available to him over a phone call.
Available services
Some of the services initially available under this program include: Information on Doctor and Medical Facilities; Information on Drug or Pharmacy; Information on Laboratory Test Report (interpretation); Medical Advice/ Consultation from Doctor (for Help and advice during Medical registered subscribers); and Emergency.
GSMA a global trade association
Founded in 1987, The GSM Association (GSMA) is a global trade association representing more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 217 territories and countries of the world. In addition, more than 180 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association's initiatives as associate members. The Association's members serve more than 2 billion customers - over 82% of the world's mobile phone users.
500 Community Information centres
In cooperation with the GSMA, Gramenphone launched another unique service called the Community Information Centers (CICs) last year (2006). The CICs are shared premises run by local entrepreneurs and designed to provide access to the Internet and other information-based services in rural areas through Grameenphone's nationwide EDGE connectivity. The CICs are serving the rural areas which do not have any other access to the Internet. Presently, there are about 500 CICs in operation throughout Bangladesh.
Read more on Community Information centres on Grameenphone’s website
Read more on Health Line on Grameenphone’s website
Read more on GSMA awards