New Delhi: GE Sustainable Healthcare Solutions (SHS) and the USAID-supported project ‘PAHAL’ (Partnerships for Affordable Health Access & Longevity) announced today their strategic partnership to address the healthcare needs of underserved communities in India. Terri Bresenham, President and CEO of GE-SHS, and L. M. Singh, Project Director, PAHAL, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Xerses Sidhwa, Director, Health, USAID/India.

Project PAHAL, implemented by IPE Global with assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), responds to the Government of India’s priorities of reducing morbidity and mortality among women and children in the underserved urban communities by leveraging private markets and community engagement to promote healthy behaviour change, improve access to affordable primary healthcare, and reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Today’s partnership launch will utilize transformational medical technology, solutions and services to meet the needs of India’s urban poor, and forms a part of Project PAHAL.

Speaking at the launch, L. M. Singh, Project Director, PAHAL, said: “We have been able to build strategic partnerships with several private healthcare businesses and aggregated a network of hospitals to increase access for over 20 million people in several high-priority states of India. As a result, we have met a large demand and need for affordable healthcare solutions that help improve quality and care at a reduced cost.”   

GE-SHS’ business commitment is to develop markets to serve an estimated 5.8 billion people globally who lack access to quality and affordable healthcare through an affordable care portfolio of high-value, low-cost technologies and healthcare delivery solutions.  Ms. Terri Bresenham, President and CEO of GE Healthcare’s Sustainable Healthcare Solutions, said: “Our goal is to define the next generation of care delivery technologies and deliver impact where it matters and is needed the most.”

Elaborating on USAID’s global health programs and their strategic priorities of building sustainable and resilient health systems across the globe, Xerses Sidhwa, Director, Health, USAID/India, said: “USAID aims to develop sustainable health solutions through facilitating strategic partnerships such as this one between GE-SHS and PAHAL. USAID has a track record of facilitating these types of partnerships and has assisted with the development of the social franchising model of Merrygold clinics in Uttar Pradesh. This has resulted in 700 private clinics currently and will expand to 3,000 clinics over the next four years through PAHAL’s support. These clinics are able to reach more women and children among the urban poor who are the most vulnerable.”

Project PAHAL and GE-SHS through this partnership will strengthen the network of private healthcare business by increasing access to need based solutions that enhances and strengthens the service offerings, revenue, sustainability to meet the health impact. Both the teams have been assessing and building the solutions for network of private hospitals in Rajasthan and will expand to other states.