Creating energy ecosystems for optimising healthcare services
Sustain Plus aims to transform the rural and tribal healthcare ecosystem in close engagement with the government system. Its approach is to equip and strengthen the local healthcare systems in villages and blocks so that communities are able to access quality healthcare facilities and services within their geographies.
In collaboration with the government, Sustain Plus identifies and addresses the existing energy gaps within the healthcare systems as well as provides access to energy-efficient equipment and human resource. By optimising energy and having efficient equipment, affordable and quality services are ensured by the healthcare providers at all hours.
Need Gaps
Though the public healthcare systems under the government’s National Health Mission has been able to increase and improve its efforts in providing primary healthcare services at affordable rates for all, there is a lack in the effectiveness of the delivery of quality healthcare services. The reasons include lack of human resource, reliable energy supply, infrastructure and quality equipment/devices, etc. to provide necessary services at low cost. Many Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) are either not connected to grid electricity or face irregular power supply which greatly hamper their effective functioning and delivery of services. Moreover, use of energy inefficient devices and appliances contribute to fuel wastage, increase costs, and add to air pollution in the vicinity.
As a result, the primary healthcare needs of rural and tribal communities are not met locally and they have to look for private or secondary/tertiary healthcare facilities. This increases their out-of-pocket expenses and coupled with reduced savings, they are pushed further into poverty.
