The innovative SAMRIDH healthcare blended finance facility, supported by USAID, has extended financial aid of $1.2 million to GNRC Hospitals.
With this partnership, GNRC, which is the first super specialty healthcare centre in the North East and now operates four hospitals with a combined capacity of over 650 beds, is expected to strengthen preparedness for not only the current Covid-19 pandemic but also for future health emergencies by increasing the reach of quality healthcare services offered under India’s flagship health assurance program Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY and Atal Amrit Abhiyan scheme.
USAID, IPE Global, stakeholders from the Indian government, academia, and the private sector developed the SAMRIDH initiative in 2020 to combine public and philanthropic funds with commercial capital to create and rapidly scale market-based health solutions that can improve access to affordable and quality healthcare services for India’s vulnerable section in the society.
GNRC’s Swasthya Mitra Program, in collaboration with SAMRIDH, ensures the beneficiaries to have access to 35 to 40 percent of hospital beds in need and also spreading of awareness amongst the rural population on the importance of using face-masks, maintaining social distancing, practising hand hygiene, understanding the benefits of corona-vaccination and finally educating communities on Covid-19 appropriate behaviours.
GNRC Swasthya Mitra is a pool of community health workers who constantly work for preventive, promotive and curative care for India’s rural and urban poor population. Most of these Swasthya Mitras are women selected from their communities, who relentlessly help the low-income population in Assam in obtaining access to quality and affordable healthcare. GNRC Swasthya Mitras are trained to identify any patients with corona-symptoms and collaborate with the public health authority to facilitate testing, tracking, isolation, and treatment of patients.
Till date, GNRC has dedicated 320 beds to help corona patients, including 150 ICU beds across its four units in Dispur, Six Mile and North Guwahati. The aid also enabled GNRC to convert its Good Health unit in Dispur to a fully functional Covid-19 hospital, equipped with ventilators and necessary oxygen support, along with other technical equipment for proper management of corona-cases.
“We are pleased to support GNRC in expanding its community engagement program to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. Through this collaboration, we aim to catalyse partnerships for greater investments towards GNRC’s initiatives focused on improving awareness and access of health services. We envision our joint efforts to play a significant role in bolstering the government of India’s large scale healthcare programs including Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY and Atal Amrit Abhiyan scheme,” said Himanshu Sikka, project director of SAMRIDH.
