In June 2023, a poignant story emerged from Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district, shedding light on the dire state of rural healthcare in India. A pregnant Munni Devi, residing in Dhongri village, faced a nightmarish ordeal as she went into labor. Poor road connectivity left her stranded without timely medical assistance. With no ambulance able to reach her, Munni and her family embarked on a perilous 7 km journey on foot to Fufundih village, where an ambulance finally awaited them.
Similarly, in April 2023, AP News drew attention to the challenges faced by 19-year-old Poonam Gond in Chhatisgarh. Battling sickle cell disease, Poonam struggled to access vital blood transfusions due to a severe shortage of doctors, exemplifying the healthcare crisis in rural India.
Responding to these pressing issues, a citizen-led initiative known as “Mission ICU” emerged during the pandemic. Dr. Ashwin Naik, Maanoj Shah, and Dr. Edmond Fernandes spearheaded this initiative, driven by a mission to transform rural healthcare in India.
Mission ICU was conceived during the pandemic by three dedicated individuals: Dr. Ashwin Naik, Maanoj Shah, and Dr. Edmond Fernandes. Maanoj, renowned for his social impact projects, and Dr. Ashwin, founder of Vaatsalya chain of hospitals, collaborated to document the stories of real-life pandemic heroes in rural areas through a short film titled ‘Corona Champions.’
Their paths crossed with Dr. Edmond Fernandes, a seasoned public health expert. Together, they envisioned Mission ICU, with the goal of strengthening critical care infrastructure in rural hospitals across India.
Mission ICU’s strategy involves a “kit-based approach” to expand ICU capacity in rural hospitals by 10 to 40 beds. They initially implemented this approach in Karnataka and later replicated it in Maharashtra, focusing on locations like Buldhana, Sangli, Nanded, and Jalgaon.
The impact of Mission ICU is evident on the ground. Hospitals like Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Memorial District Hospital in Nanded, Maharashtra, now have the critical care facilities they need to save patients’ precious time, reducing the need for referrals to distant hospitals.
Maanoj Shah emphasized the importance of selecting hospitals based on specific criteria to maximize the initiative’s effectiveness. A study titled ‘Bharat Health Index (BHI) 2023′ revealed that only 25 percent of India’s rural population has access to modern healthcare locally, underscoring the urgency of Mission ICU’s mission.
When selecting hospitals, Mission ICU evaluates mutual interest and conducts due diligence to assess infrastructure, doctor availability, and plans for kit utilization. After securing investors’ approval and obtaining official requisition from district officials, the team orders and deploys the necessary equipment, providing training to hospital staff. Each kit comprises 10 beds, three ventilators, tabletop monitors, suction pumps, an oximeter, BiPAP, and CPAP machines.
Mission ICU has already made a significant impact, operating in approximately 20 hospitals across India, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Kashmir, Manipur, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh. Their ultimate goal is to establish a healthcare infrastructure where no patient has to travel more than 30 minutes to access an ICU.
In the face of India’s rural healthcare challenges, Mission ICU serves as a beacon of hope, bridging the gap and saving lives where it matters most.
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