Presenter: Avishek Malla

1. Health Issues: Experiences of
the health-energy
interaction at village level
Avishek Malla
Smart Villages Initiative’s Engagement Programmes in South Asia and Southeast Asia

2. • SunFarmer Nepal is a social enterprise, a
subsidiary of SunFarmer USA (US nonprofit)
based in New York.
• Mission: To power critical infrastructure in the
developing world with affordable and reliable
solar energy.
• Primarily works in health, education and
agriculture.

3. Nepal

4. Nepal : Electricity Access
3 out 10
Nepalese has
no electricity

7. Health Services in Nepal
102 public hospitals
208 Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs)
1,559 Health Posts (HPs) and
2,247 Sub Health Posts (SHPs)

8. Energy access is critical enabler of access to medical technologies
Medical and Other Appliances Communication Devices Health Services

9. Our Health sector requires reliable energy
Stable & reliable power supply is essential for health
facilities to run equipment's and provide lighting for
evening deliveries and procedures.
Power irregularities can damage sensitive and expensive
medical equipment's.
Lack of or an unsteady power supply can result in the
destruction of cold-chain (damaging blood, vaccine etc. )
Intermittent or unavailable power can limit the ability of
health facilities to deliver basic , preventive care and
treatment

10. However challenges are many
Infrastructure : The gap between energy access
& remote health centers is ever widening and
growing with expansion.
Coordination : Government agencies providing
medical equipment and energy are different
Finance : Lack of financial Resource ,public
health centers have low revenue.

11. Delivery Room
In City In Rural Village

12. In Patient Department
In City In Rural Village

13. Delivery is difficult using flashlights held in
the mouth, as we can neither see clearly nor
give instructions.
Lungra, Health Post In charge

14. I had no medical equipment, the new born
required respiratory support, I had to give
mouth to mouth to save the baby, thank
God it worked.
Hattikhot, Health Post In charge
Sterilization is difficult as there is no power
to operate the autoclave, we use firewood
to heat the autoclave. Payal , Health Post
In charge

15. 19 districts has no
cold storage facility
30-40 Solar
refrigerators installed

16. < 1kWh Small Health
post
< 10 kWh Medium
Health
Post
> 10 kWh Large Health
Post
Lighting Yes Yes Yes
Communication Internet Internet Mobile Charging
Diagnostic /Lab devices X-Ray, Auto-clave, Suction,
Oxygen concentrator etc.
Suction, Oxygen
concentrator etc.
Nebulizer
Refrigeration Yes Yes Yes

17. Transforming
Health
services
with
Energy

18. Case
study

19. Syada Health Post
6 hours walk from
the nearest airport
8 days walk from the
nearest motor able
road
309 households,
population of 1933
Case study

20. Jharro, local
traditional light
provides a dim light
by burning a resin
soaked pine tree
wood stick.
produces a lot of
smog and black soot
and thus is very
dangerous for
pregnant women and
newly born babies
Case study

21. 220Wp Solar Powers
Lights
Charging
On average, the health
post see about 20 – 30
patients a day
8-15 births annually
Case study

22. Case study
Lungra Health Post
4 hours from
nearest road
No electricity
before Solar
Population 3,803

23. 2.1 kWp Solar
Powers
• Refrigerator
• Autoclave
• Nebulizer
• Oxygen
concentrator
• Suction
Machine
• Lights
• Laptop
101 Births / year
Case study

24. Case study
Bayalpata Hospital
Poor Quality and
intermittent
Electricity supply
Was dependent on
Diesel
Region with 3
million population

25. Case study
Solar intervention in
2012 with 12kWp
Now, 100kWp
Solar Powers
2 Operation Theaters
ICU
Dental
Modern Lab
Blood Banks
Oxygen Generators
X-Rays & more…

26. Case study

27. Case Study
“Making Solar Affordable”
Lease to Own Model
Health facility signs agreement
for 5-8 years
Makes monthly payments
Maintenance and Operation is
taken care by the service
provider
System ownership is handed over
to the Health facility at end of
successful term.

28. Thank you
Avishek Malla
avishek@sunfarmer.org
SunFarmer Nepal