Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital serves healthcare to 800,000 patients

For more than two decades, Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital (LFH) has been bringing essential healthcare services directly to people living in Bangladesh's remote riverine communities.

 Having served more than 816,000 patients and delivered over 1.35 million healthcare services since its inception, including 489 surgical camps and more than 19,000 surgeries, the floating hospital continues to provide quality healthcare to underserved populations across the char areas of Gaibandha, Bogura and Sirajganj.

To witness the impact of this long-standing initiative firsthand, Ruhul Quddus Khan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL), along with members of the company's Management Committee, recently visited the hospital's operations in Gaibandha.

During the visit, the delegation toured the hospital facilities, met healthcare professionals, interacted with patients and beneficiaries, and gained insights into the challenges and opportunities of delivering healthcare services in remote char communities.

Established through a long-standing partnership between Unilever's health and hygiene brand Lifebuoy and social development organisation Friendship, LFH is one of Unilever Bangladesh's longest-running social impact initiatives. 

The hospital began its healthcare operations in 2002 by converting a barge brought from France into a fully equipped floating hospital, with a clear purpose: to bring quality healthcare closer to people in remote communities who often remain beyond the reach of conventional healthcare services.

Over the years, the hospital has evolved into a comprehensive healthcare facility offering primary and specialised medical services, including maternal and child healthcare, general medicine, eye care, dentistry, skin disease treatment, diagnostics and a range of surgical procedures. The hospital continues to serve communities living in geographically isolated regions where access to healthcare remains a significant challenge.

The impact of the initiative continues to grow. In 2025 alone, LFH served 48,784 patients, conducted 36,051 general outpatient consultations, 4,442 specialist consultations, 987 surgeries, and more than 21,500 diagnostic tests. The hospital also reached 28,273 women and girls and 6,564 children during the year. Essential medicine availability remained at 98 percent, while patient satisfaction stood at 95 percent.

For many residents of Bangladesh's char communities, accessing healthcare often requires travelling long distances across rivers, navigating limited transportation options, and bearing significant time and financial costs. Seasonal flooding, river erosion and geographical isolation frequently create barriers to timely treatment. Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital was established to bridge this gap by bringing quality healthcare services directly to these communities.

During the visit, the delegation heard firsthand accounts from patients and their families about how access to healthcare closer to home has reduced difficult river journeys, improved treatment outcomes and enabled communities to seek care when they need it most.

Speaking during the visit, Ruhul Quddus Khan, CEO and Managing Director of Unilever Bangladesh Limited, said:“At Unilever, we believe that good health opens the door to new possibilities in people’s lives. When someone regains their health, the benefits extend beyond the individual, bringing relief and a sense of normalcy back to the entire family. For more than two decades, Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital has brought healthcare closer to hundreds of thousands of people living in Bangladesh’s remote char communities.

 We are truly proud to be part of this humanitarian initiative. Speaking with patients, healthcare workers and local communities has reinforced my understanding that timely access to healthcare is about more than treatment. It restores confidence and helps make a family’s future more secure. Through our longstanding partnership with Friendship, we continue to work towards making healthcare more accessible to underserved communities. We will continue to support this important initiative so that more people can access reliable healthcare when they need it most.”