On 5 May 2026, Swisscontact and Carnival Care Limited officially launched the first ASTHA CARE facility in Gaibandha district - a milestone that marks the beginning of a national-scale-up journey for the CarePoint model. Located in Panch Pir Bazar, Sundarganj, this is the first node in a planned network of 100 ASTHA CARE facilities across rural Bangladesh by 2028, projected to reach 500,000 rural residents and reduce patient out-of-pocket spending by 40%.
The inauguration ceremony was graced by Mohammad Majedur Rahman, Honourable Member of Parliament (MP) of Gaibandha-1. He was joined by Parvez Mohammad Asheque, Head of Programmes at Swisscontact Bangladesh, and Dr Farshid Bhuiyan, Managing Director of Carnival Care Limited. Also in attendance were local leaders, health officials, and representatives from various national and international organisations.
Dr Farshid Bhuiyan, Managing Director of Carnival Care, outlined the vision and objectives of the ASTHA CARE model - a one-stop facility offering rapid diagnostics, daily GP consultations, specialist referrals, and an on-site pharmacy. Local entrepreneur Murshidur Rahman Khan, the driving force behind the Gaibandha facility, then shared his personal motivation for establishing the centre and his hopes for its impact on the community.
Under the ASTHA CARE model, each facility offers General Physician consultations seven days a week, rapid and accurate diagnostic services, in-person and digital specialist consultations, and authentic medicines. The facility also features a digital medical records system that securely stores a patient's test results, prescriptions, and other health-related information, accessible from any ASTHA CARE centre across the country.
Alongside the formal proceedings, a free health camp ran simultaneously where community members from the surrounding areas came forward to receive free consultations and primary healthcare services. For many attending, it was their first experience of accessible, organised healthcare so close to home — no long journey, no long wait, no prohibitive cost.
Swisscontact and Carnival Care are currently in active discussions with prospective entrepreneurs across several districts, aiming to establish more than 100 ASTHA CARE facilities in underserved rural Bangladesh by 2028. The programme prioritises climate-vulnerable regions, with at least 20–30 facilities planned for areas at heightened risk of climate-induced health events.
Beyond facility establishment, Swisscontact is working to build the broader market system that makes rural health enterprises viable at scale, including standardised financial products, a public-private referral network, and a regulatory and policy environment that recognises and supports this category of rural health infrastructure.
The launch of the first ASTHA CARE in Gaibandha serves as proof of concept for the idea that quality healthcare can be offered to rural communities through a locally owned enterprise supported by the right ecosystem of partners, technology, and systems.