Initially, GHS employees donated their one day's salary to help create the fund to support poor families, said the social business organisation on Wednesday.
To continue the initiative, GHS has created a relief fund to provide food support to the poor and underprivileged families in specific areas for the next three months.
As the part of this Food Support Programme, GHS has already provided food and welfare support to 135 families.
Considering the current situation GHS is planning to expand the programme to support additional 405 families till June.
Three hospitals under GHS have been carrying out the task of essential food distribution in Bogura, Barishal and Thakurgaon.
Taking the number of family members into consideration, a maximum 10 kgs of rice, 2 kgs of lentil, 2 kgs of flour, 2 kgs of onion, 5 kgs of potatoes, 2 litres of soybean oil, 1kg of salt, 2 soaps and Tk 200 emergency cash are given as welfare and food support.
Since everyone is under lockdown, GHS employees have delivered the food door to door. Meanwhile, the GHS hospitals continue their operation for essential and emergency eye care treatments.
They are also providing counselling and raising patients’ awareness for preventive measures following the guidelines given by the World Health Organization.
GHS is operating four eye hospitals in Bogura, Barishal, Thakurgaon, and Satkhira. The aim of these hospitals is to provide modern eye care treatment to underprivileged people at an affordable cost.
In addition, Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing, a sister concern of GHS, is providing high quality nursing education and training.
Also read: GK offers healthcare, food support during Covid-19 pandemic
In light of the Coronavirus crisis, everyone including the rich, the middle class, and the poor are staying at home as a preventative measure, said the GHS.
As a result, it said, day labourers, workers and small business owners have became jobless and their source of income has been disrupted severely.