Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has extended his appreciation to the team behind the digital healthcare platform “Shukhee” for their efforts in delivering quality, technology-driven medical services to people across Bangladesh, particularly those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
He visited the Grameen HealthTech office on Wednesday and observed the operations of “Shukhee,” an innovative e-health platform developed by @Grameen HealthTech Limited (GHL).
The platform is working to make healthcare more accessible and convenient by bridging the gap between patients and doctors through technology, said Yunus Centre on Thursday.
During the visit, Professor Yunus engaged with employees across various departments and observed the organization’s ongoing operations.
Emphasising inclusive healthcare, Professor Yunus said, “We are prioritising digital healthcare so that people in Bangladesh's remote areas can consult doctors online.”
“Many remote and hilly regions of Bangladesh still face a shortage of medical professionals. Digital healthcare can help overcome these challenges by reaching people in hard-to-access areas,” he said.
He also emphasized that digitally stored health records can prevent the loss of prescriptions and reports, while making follow-up care more efficient.
Highlighting maternal healthcare, he added that digital services are especially crucial for pregnant women, enabling them to consult doctors from home.
Professor Yunus also said Bangladeshi expatriates will benefit from digital health services. “Many hesitate to consult doctors abroad due to language barriers. Platforms like ‘Shukhee’ can connect them with Bangladeshi doctors online,” he said.
Senior management of Grameen HealthTech presented their strategic roadmap, sharing future plans focused on scaling digital healthcare access, strengthening last-mile connectivity, and expanding community-based healthcare delivery models across the country.
Professor Yunus showed keen interest in these initiatives and acknowledged their alignment with his long-standing vision for inclusive and equitable systems.
By building a digitally enabled, standards-driven platform—incorporating ICD-11, HL7, and FHIR—and ensuring global compliance (such as GDPR), Shukhee is creating a foundation for inclusive and interoperable healthcare.
Officials also shared that, through the establishment of over 10,000 Shukhee Sheba Kendras and the development of Shukhee Grams, they are not just building infrastructure but enabling access where it is needed most.
Within just 15 months, the platform has already served over 100,000 patients, most of whom come from low-income communities.
Professor Yunus expressed satisfaction with the way Shukhee, Grameen HealthTech’s digital healthcare platform, is operating and placed special emphasis on strengthening grassroots-level initiatives to ensure inclusive healthcare delivery.