Health campaign

In this part of the toolkit we focus on factory owners and managers
Here are some measures regarding the “health and well-being” of the factory workers, which the factory owners can take on their own initiative, with their own internal funding, with their own people such as factory health center staff – doctors and nurses, factory welfare and compliance officers. Or consider a “health and wellness” program involving factory workers. Ayat Education will be by your side if necessary.
We know that the workers of the garment industry are its lifeblood. Their health plays a big role in increasing the production of the factory as well as its development. So it is very necessary to get the support of higher authorities in this matter. Various strategies or approaches can be adopted to create awareness, mobilize stakeholders, policy makers, service providers and service users, promote and gain support.
Use of Toolkit: To this end our digital toolkit collects essential “Health and Wellness” information. Overall it provides information on health and disease of factory workers – symptoms, precautions, treatment and recovery. There are also some suggestions for owners and management parties. Which will later help to be known as a good initiative (Good Practice Model) for every garment factory including BGMEA.      
Factory management initiates health campaigns or “health and wellness” campaigns in the respective premises of the factories aimed at the overall well-being of the workers in the garment industry. The first goal is to improve the health and wellness of employees and make them health conscious. This includes health and wellness information messages, educational talks and some immediate health services (primary health check-up like: diabetes, body temperature, blood pressure, oxygen levels, weight etc.) and doctor’s consultation.
By identifying ‘alert’ cases” through health tests, doctors are given the necessary treatment and follow-up. In some cases – referral to specialist doctor and hospital if necessary for further treatment. The campaign is implemented by volunteers, health workers (nurses and doctors) as well as factory health centers, employee welfare and compliance officers. It creates a festive atmosphere in the factory through everyone’s participation.
Apart from providing health care to employees through these campaigns, it plays a vital role in health awareness among employees and other officials. Through this, a relationship of mutual trust and respect is created between the owner and the factory workers. Which ultimately contributes to increase the production of the factory. Garment factories are usually a busy place. Where every worker has to work every second to achieve the specific production target. Therefore, ensuring the good health of employees is very important in increasing the productivity of the organization or achieving its goals. Therefore, it is very important to have the necessary health care facilities in every garment factory. Initiatives on ‘Health and Wellness’ campaigns have been taken up in several garment factories among the factories under BGMEA.
  • Employee Health Survey/ Data Collection : The first step is to conduct a survey on employee health related knowledge, attitude, and healthy habits in their daily life, awareness level and then a health campaign model is developed based on the results of that survey.
  • Health issues that are at risk are prioritized first.
Health examination is applicable to all workers and officials of the factory.
  • But women’s health problems are isolated and referred to gynecologists through vital health checkups. The health problems of workers at risk are referred to doctors on priority as isolated or alert cases.
  • Referral services are provided to workers with complex and long-term illnesses who require advanced medical care.
  • Conduct health education sessions for line supervisors on common health issues, focusing on them, so that they can later discuss with their colleagues.
  • Information and communication materials  : Posters and leaflets with health messages on some essential health related topics are prepared and hung in visible places in the factory. Booths (tables) are set up inside the factory to provide health care to the workers.
  • Health educational talks and use of toolkits: Here are daily and seasonal outbreaks, common and special diseases that inform workers about and prevention methods. In this work, a special information repository (Digital Toolkit) related to the health and wellness of garment industry workers is used. This involves informing employees and encouraging them to take up healthcare, and arranging special health education sessions for line supervisors.
  • Health and Wellness Campaign – Planning and Implementation: Factory owners and management are advised to organize health campaigns at least twice a year.
  • Budget and financial resources: Selection of a coordinator to organize campaign events with allocated budget.
  • Team Building : Ensuring the presence of volunteers, nurses and doctors to provide health care throughout the campaign. Setting up tables or stalls for services around the venue, provision of medical supplies and furnishing the venue with promotional materials. Announcing the engagement of nursing staff and doctors (depending on the total number of staff) and schedule of events. Ensuring the presence of both female and male doctors in the campaigns keeping in mind the female and male workers.
  • Venue Preparation: Setting up some relevant and appropriate information and communication materials (PVC) for the venue. Preparing and placing banners with necessary information and program schedule regarding the campaign. It is a good practice for line supervisors to conduct periodic health discussions and health education (shared with colleagues) to create awareness about the prevalence of any alarming health problems and also to focus on seasonal health issues.
  • Data/Information Storage: At the end of the health  wellness campaign, the data stored include the type of health problems of the workers, the number of service users, the number of male-female service users and their ratio, the number of service users who are at risk of health, the age of service users, and comments etc. During this time, daily health care delivery information is collected. The necessary steps are taken later by analyzing the information obtained. Through which an overall picture of the health status of the workers of the respective factories is obtained. Which helps the factory owner to decide the future course of action.
 A healthy environment and worker productivity is the key to factory improvement, because when workers are in good health, it reduces absenteeism rates and contributes to increased factory production and profit levels. As we know, Bangladesh’s manufactured garment industry accounted for 84.21% of the country’s total exports (BGMEA, 2020). Which is 10.35% of the country’s GDP.
  • Blood sugar, blood pressure (BP), oxygen saturation, body temperature, weight etc.
  • Identify health problems that are at risk separately. 
  • Ensuring presence of both female and male doctors in campaigns keeping in mind female and male workers 

Health Campaign at a Glance:

For health & wellness issues consultations about how to conduct health & wellness campaign. Please contact:

Contact:
Jenna Buttolph
Senior Public Health Analyst
Integral Global Consulting (IGC)
Email: jenna@integralglobal.net

Laila Karim
Director of Programs
AYAT Education
Email: laila.k@ayateducation.com