50-bed Solar-Powered COVID-care Hospital Inaugurated in Patna
Doctors For You, in partnership with SELCO Foundation, and Vistex Hospital, with support from the Government of Bihar set up this facility using energy-efficient and clean energy solutions.
Last week, COVID Care Vistex Hospital, a 50-bed solar-powered facility, was inaugurated in Masarhi, Patna, that includes an OPD, in-patient care with ICU facilities, testing laboratory, and staff quarantine facilities. At the inauguration, which was held online, Mr. Ravishankar Prasad, Union Cabinet Minister for Law and Justice, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India praised the initiative for catering to the needs of marginalized communities. Vistex Hospital is the only hospital located in a 15 km radius that can provide quality emergency health care services in the area.
The 5000 sqft facility is 100 percent off-grid, powered by a 15kWp solar energy installation to ensure reliable power and medical care availability 24x7. By using energy-efficient material and equipment saves the facility 58 percent on overall energy costs.
Despite tremendous efforts that have been made to ramp up India’s public health infrastructure since the pandemic hit early this year, several challenges still exist. Dr. Ravikanth Singh, Founder, Doctors for You India said, “Bihar is one of the least industrialised states and this posed great challenges on the ground situation in the times of COVID.”
Mr. Barry O’ Farrell, Australia’s High Commissioner to India, highlighted the role of doctors and nurses who have been working tirelessly towards serving these communities, “This unprecedented challenge has made us all realise that we all are connected beyond borders and oceans. The pandemic has intensified collaboration for health, science, technology and resources.”
In order to upgrade the infrastructure in Masarhi, Bihar and provide reliable critical care to the COVID patients, Doctors For You, in partnership with SELCO Foundation and Vistex Hospital, with support from the Government of Bihar set up this facility using energy-efficient and clean energy solutions.
“Our goal with Doctors for You was to showcase India as an R&D centre for the world, by using materials and medical appliances that are energy-efficient, we were able to make the complete centre and solar power more affordable. This can be replicated in any part of the country, or the world.” shared Dr. Harish Hande, CEO, SELCO Foundation.
Doctors for You and SECLO Foundation, along with several other Indian organizations from the healthcare and energy sectors in India, are part of a Powering Health coalition aimed at ensuring reliable and sustainable power supply to public healthcare facilities in rural India.
The e-inauguration was also attended by Mr. Jeffrey Prins, IKEA Foundation, Dr. Nachiket Mor, ACT Grants, Mr. Mason Payne, Vistex Foundation, Chirag Shah, Vistex Inc, Dr. Umesh Bhadani, AIIMS, Patna, Dr. SS Roy, PHC Fathua, Mr. Manoj Kumar IAS — SHS Bihar.
About Doctors For You
Doctors For You (DFY) is a pan-India humanitarian organization with international presence and is working in various disaster-hit zones for last 9 years. DFY focuses on providing medical care to the vulnerable communities during crisis and non-crisis situation, emergency medical aid to people affected by natural disasters, conflicts and epidemics. Doctors for You was founded in India in 2007, by doctors, medical students and like-minded people with a vision of “Health for all.” Currently, DFY is working on various Public Health Issues in 18 states.
About SELCO Foundation
SELCO Foundation aims to develop innovative, sustainable — social, technical and financial models that impact climate change and poverty alleviation. It is a collaborative striving to work on solutions, support agents and build a sustainable ecosystem for clean energy access. SELCO Foundation seeks to holistically facilitate context-driven solutions and opportunities that result in improved well-being and livelihoods for underserved communities through sustainable energy and energy-efficient applications. The interventions are developed with a focus on local empowerment, replication and ethical scaling.
