ICMR signs pact to provide healthcare to rural areas

Aiming to provide healthcare to the most remote areas in the country by reducing "uncertainty" in electricity supply through solar solutions, a policy research institute has signed a pact with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Under the pact - 'Initiative on Solar for Healthcare' signed between ICMR and Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), solar systems will be installed on a pilot basis at select Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to evaluate its impact on healthcare delivery.
An official statement said that the collaboration will focus on providing effective healthcare delivery at the last mile by reducing uncertainty in critical infrastructure, particularly electricity supply via cost effective solar-based solutions.

"The collaboration with CEEW will bring together synergies between the objective of 'time to care' as mandated in the National Health Mission (NHM) and clean energy as outlined under the National Solar Mission (NSM).
"Under this collaboration, on a pilot basis, we will install solar systems at select PHCs in partnership with three state governments and evaluate its impact on healthcare delivery and health outcomes," Soumya Swaminathan, Director General of ICMR, said.
She said that the aim of the collaboration is to create resilient health systems in rural India which benefits primarily women and children.

CEEW said that as of 2015, nearly 35 million people in rural India rely on un-electrified PHCs for primary health services.

In the absence of electricity, services catered to by health institutions such as institutional deliveries, paediatric emergencies and administering of vaccines get severely affected.
"The collaboration with ICMR supports the systematic and productive advancement in national policies, regulations and actions to leverage solar energy for a social purpose:enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery at various levels of governance," said Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW.