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Working Conditions
Health Clinics
Gildan provides frontline healthcare to all its employees in Central America and the Dominican Republic through fully equipped medical clinics at each of our manufacturing facilities. While focusing on workplace-related health issues, our medical team, composed of 23 doctors and 35 nurses are also often called upon to provide such services as pre-natal care and vaccinations.
During 2011, our doctors from our on-site medical clinics in Central America and in the Dominican Republic provided more than 47,000 medical attentions to our employees.
In 2010, in Honduras and Nicaragua:
- 4,396 employees were vaccinated free of charge against tetanus
- 7,930 against H1N1
- 60 against Hepatitis B
In 2011:
- 493 Honduran employees were vaccinated free of charge against tetanus
- 1,993 employees in the Dominican Republic were vaccinated free of charge against tetanus
- 232 Nicaraguan employees were vaccinated free of charge against tetanus and 112 against pneumococcus
- 150 of our Nicaraguan employees' children were vaccinated free of charge against H1N1
In the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras, in addition to basic health care services, all pregnant employees are also eligible to receive medical advice related to their pregnancy from Gildan's on-site medical staff. At the majority of our facilities in Central America, when employees register for this program, they are given training on various topics such as:
- Special care for pregnant women
- Exercise techniques to facilitate birth
- Care for the newborn (breastfeeding techniques, hygiene and preparing the home environment)
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Drugstore
In May 2010, in partnership with the Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social, Gildan opened a new drugstore adjacent to our Rio Nance complex clinic in Honduras. All employees working at the complex can benefit from this service.
During 2010 and 2011, more than 21,000 drug prescriptions were filled at one of the clinics at our manufacturing site in Honduras in order to address our employees’ health issues. This represents a total of over 315,000 prescribed drugs that were donated by the Company to employees through the drugstore.
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An Industrial Nurse for our Charleston employees
At our Charleston, North Carolina facility, our employees also benefit from the presence of an onsite industrial nurse. As an integral part of the Gildan safety program, this nurse provides assistance with pre-employment screening requirements, assistance to employees who are injured on the shop floor, and other illnesses/injuries that may occur during the course of work. In addition, the nurse also works on safety policies and procedures. The nurse's contribution has resulted in an enhanced health care program on several fronts: health and safety awareness; greater medical presence; on-site pre-employment screening; on-site work-related injury assistance; employee morale; and reduced lost time from work.