Udupi: The Urban Health Centre, Malpe, had been chosen for a pilot solar powered clinic project, which was inaugurated by Srinivas Prasad, CEO Philips Innovation campus on Wednesday, January 21.
The solar energy panels which have been provided by Philips will power the entire clinic, It is the first attempt made in India to have a clinic that works only on solar energy.
The Malpe Centre provides maternal and child health services and also takes care of the general ailments of people in the region. The Centre under the administrative care of the Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, recently started screening activities for oral, breast and cervix cancers with support from Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.
With the ever-increasing work at the Clinic, the need for uninterrupted power supply is imperative. The solar energy which became operational today will greatly help to improve patient care. In view of the urgency and importance of having uninterrupted power in the clinic, Manipal University and Philips signed a memorandum of understanding for the pilot project.
This innovation by Philips is a centralized solar DC grid, which reduces dependency on grid power and contributes towards green energy. The solar solution provided in Malpe Clinic consists of 6 KWp solar panels. It is expected to generate on an average nearly 12 units per day, and the consumption of the Malpe clinic is around 8 units per day presently.
While inaugurating the solar clinic Srinivas Prasad, a former Karnataka Ranji Trophy player said, “We are associated with Manipal University for over a decade, thus we decided to do this project with the University first. This initiative can serve as a model solution which can be replicated in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and rural areas across the country. With the need for more and more electricity, solar energy is the solution to the problem of insufficient power in the country”.
Speaking on the occasion, Pramod Madhwaraj, the local MLA said he was extremely happy that Philips decided to have the pilot project in his constituency, and urged Mr Prasad to provide solar facilities to the entire state.
Even Dr Vinod Bhat, Pro Vice Chancellor urged the Philips CEO to use the technology to improve the villages across the country, “Because we cannot depend on electricity alone to fulfill the needs,” he said.
Department of Community Medicine Head and Professor, Dr Veena Kamath welcomed the gathering and gave a brief account of the Urban Health Centre in Malpe. Expressing joy on the switch from electricity to solar power she said, “The clinic can now work without any power interruption”.
