How Solar Energy Is Transforming India's Healthcare Delivery?

The Community Health Center (CHC) in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, is the only government health facility in this small hilly town and serves as the largest healthcare center for many nearby villages. Joshimath is also known as the gateway to the pilgrimage site Badrinath. This small government healthcare facility attends to the medical needs of both tourists and local residents, as well as many people from remote hilly villages, every day.

Since COVID, several changes have taken place at the health center, including the installation of a solar power system and a new piped oxygen supply. According to the management, the introduction of solar energy projects has significantly improved healthcare delivery in several areas.

“Earlier there were some limitations in rendering 24×7 deliveries of pregnant women. However, with the help of solar, our healthcare facilities improved due to improved energy security. Joshimath CHC is also important in terms of vaccination as this is the nodal hospital for cold storage of vaccines which the ASHA and anganwadi workers often take during immunisation. So improved electricity supply with the help of solar helped in boosting our efficiency to deliver health care,” a senior doctor from the CHC told Saur Energy, requesting anonymity.

This is not an isolated case but is gradually becoming a trend. Many remote and tribal PHCs, CHCs, and district hospitals in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and even Uttar Pradesh have adopted off-grid or hybrid solar systems to enhance the energy security of their healthcare facilities.

In many of these hospitals, uninterrupted energy is crucial for the proper storage of vaccines, performing surgeries in operating theatres, and running various diagnostic and treatment equipment. Conventional tasks are often hindered in areas with weak grids and frequent blackouts.

Several innovative startups have also embraced off-grid solar solutions to enhance healthcare services in challenging environments. Ankita Mittal, the CEO of Enhanced Innovations, launched ‘Phloton,’ a solar-powered vaccine carrier designed to ensure the safe transport of vaccines and other medical supplies through continuous monitoring and smart services.

“We started around 2021 to ensure last mile delivery of vaccines. Our device is a portable cold chain device which could be used to carry key life-saving vaccines to other important medical items like important injections, milk to semen (for artificial insemination). As grid supply is often challenging in such last mile deliveries, we tried to rope in off-grid solar systems like flexible solar to boost energy security. And it worked wonders for the whole vaccine supply chain,” Mittal told Saur Energy.

Mittal also mentioned collaborating with philanthropic organizations like SELCO Foundation to empower ASHA and anganwadi workers, ensuring the proper storage and transport of vaccines in remote areas with the help of small solar kits.

Beyond powering vaccines and medical devices, solar energy has contributed to various other sectors as well. For example, in Rajasthan, some organizations have worked with dairy farmers to extend the shelf life of camel milk using decentralized off-grid solar milk chillers. This technology ensures timely delivery for medical purposes and boosts the livelihoods of camel milk farmers.

Across the country, efforts are underway to expand renewable energy usage to enhance healthcare services. For instance, the Kerala government has announced plans to install solar energy systems and energy storage devices at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, allowing solar energy to be utilized even during non-sunny periods.

Off-grid solar solutions have significantly impacted healthcare centers in remote areas of India. In regions with weak or erratic grid supplies, solar power has saved lives and improved healthcare delivery, from immunizations to surgeries, as well as the operation of essential medical equipment. The increasing trend of incorporating energy storage systems with solar is expected to provide an additional boost to these efforts.

A report from energy think tank WRI-India while taking about the issue said that the policymakers need to think over its better financing, thrust on improving the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of these projects monitor and evaluate the changes solar energy is making to the healthcare delivery which can boost further adoption of green energy.