Electricity-starved primary health centers (PHCs) in the rural areas across the country are likely to be lit up with solar power soon. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), research wing of the Health Ministry has initiated a pilot project in three PHCs in Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Rajasthan to ensure last mile health care facilities, aiming to cut down maternal and infant mortality rate.
Depending on the results, the Union Health Ministry might expand solar energy facilities to other PHCs as well.
The move is expected to benefit nearly 35 million people in rural areas, who presently have to rely on un-electrified PHCs -at least 30 per cent of the total PHCs--for basic health services. In the absence of electricity, services catered by these centers such as institutional deliveries, pediatric emergencies, and administering of vaccines get severely affected.
The absence of electricity is considered as one of the main reasons for high maternal and child mortality in the rural and tribal areas of the country.
To focus on providing effective health care delivery at the last mile, by reducing uncertainty in critical infrastructure, particularly electricity supply via cost effective solar-based solutions, the ICMR recently signed an agreement with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a policy research institution to launch "Solar healthcare initiative" in this regard.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Director General, ICMR said: "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 the three state governments and evaluate its impact on healthcare delivery and health outcomes. The aim of the collaboration is to create resilient health systems in rural India, benefitting primarily women and children."
The Ministry hopes to generate at least 5 KV of solar electricity in each centre.
" Electricity access in health centres is also imperative as a means to facilitate communication services, tele-health applications and to retain skilled health workers," added Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW.
