Grameen Vida Sana opens new Clinic in USA

• Miscellaneous
• 25th February 2016
• YC

Press Release

গ্রামীণ ভিদা সানা কর্তৃক মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্রে নতুন ক্লিনিক উদ্বোধন

Photo Caption: Nobel Laureate and Grameen America Chair, Professor Muhammad Yunus inaugurating the new clinic of Grameen Vida Sana (GVS). This GVS clinic is a social business which will offer health care services to the Grameen America borrowers and non borrowers alike with a sustainable operational approach.

Grameen Vida Sana (healthy life) opens new clinic at Jackson Height Branch office of Grameen America. Grameen Vida Sana is a comprehensive health program for both borrowers and low income non-borrowers of Grameen America. Dr. Diana Ramirez an experienced medical professional heads the program.

Grameen Vida Sana began its work about a year back. Seventy percent of the present members (400) of Grameen Vida Sana have no insurance. One of the immediate task, as delineated by Grameen Vida Sana, is to connect all members to many free health services provided by the City, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. Poor people often don't know about the existence of these programs or cannot go through the process to reach out to them individually. Grameen Vida Sana brings those programs to its members. Members pay a monthly fee of $29. Grameen Vida Sana hopes to become sustainable when it reaches 4 thousand members and hopes to reach the target in the next three years. Major health problems members face are obesity, diabetes and mental health/depression.

The Jackson Height branch of Grameen America is in its eighth year of operation and is 134 percent sustainable. It gained sustainability three years back. Now it has 4.2 thousand borrowers. It has 100 percent repayment rate with no missed repayment any week, zero portfolios at risk.

Grameen America aims to become fully sustainable as an organization by 2018. By that time it will have received more than one billion dollars in loan repayment. Grameen America now has 18 branches in 9 states, including 7 branches in New York City. Some of the other cities are: Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Charlotte, NC, Indianapolis, Omaha, Austin and San Juan.