Ninad Mandke

Inclusive Healthcare: An Initiative to Provide Affordable or Cashless ICU Treatment to Marginalized Communities

Introduction Introduction In 2007 a group of six young medical graduates from Osmania Medical College Hyderabad founded YAGNA , an NGO to offer holistic education, free food and housing to destitute children and affordable healthcare to the rural poor and underprivileged. YAGNA began what was an improbable mission with nearly no resources but armed with passion and commitment to serve. The yagna story is on yagnaindia.org YAGNA established a 120 bed Maa Sharda Hospital in Vikarabad, one of the most backward districts of Telangana in India with a population of around 2,50,000. In these rural areas many lives are lost every year owing to lack of adequate emergency services,curative, preventive and diagnostic medical care most of whom are in the low-income group YAGNA has made a true impact on the ground in offering rural healthcare at a fraction of the cost charged in corporate hospitals in the metro areas. In the past year they treated: - Over 3000 outpatients - Handled 600 Admissions - Performed over 300 Surgeries - Over 175 COVID patients successfully treated in May-June 2021 The surgeries performed include - Laparoscopic abdominal procedures - Endoscopic Urology procedures - Surgical Gastro procedures - Surgical Oncological procedures - Neuro… Read More

Covid Isolation Centre

With the 2nd wave of the novel corona virus hitting the country hard, Honda India Foundation, together with Spherule Foundation, agreed on helping in combating the situation with Rajasthan & Haryana Government. The project of Covid Isolation Centre was structured in way to reduce the load on Hospitals and Government by setting up a Covid Care Isolation Centre at Naurangpur, in Gurugram, and at Tapukada in Rajasthan. Both the tri-party agreements between Honda India Foundation (rep. by Mr. Dhingra), Spherule Foundation (rep. by Dr Bora) & Gurugram & Rajasthan District Administration respectively, laid down various points of responsibilities of each party. It was agreed that the district administration will provide necessities like ambulance service, oxygen supply and referrals from nearby civil hospital along with appointment of a nodal officer for our isolation centre. Spherule Foundation being the implementation partner for the centre will look after hiring trained staff and managing the daily operations of the centre and HIF will be providing funds for all infrastructure and medical supplies required for smooth operations along with bearing costs for food, water and electricity at the centre. Other points related to statutory compliances, liabilities, indemnities, hygiene etc have also been mentioned in the… Read More

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: How Spherule Foundation and Samhita CGF are Fostering Digital and Financial Literacy for Lasting Change

Introduction One of the key challenges for the marginalized community in India, is Digital and Financial Literacy. They are deprived of many benefits and information about many government schemes relating to insurance, pension, health and finance. Also, now using a smartphone is no less than using a computer. A person with a smart phone and internet can do multiple businesses sitting at home. For the above reasons, the Government of India too is spreading awareness about this. Despite massive growth in account opening, there is evidence that India’s digital finance push is having limited impact due to account dormancy and low levels of usage. 48% of people with an account at a financial institution made no deposits or withdrawals from that account over the past year. Account dormancy is higher among populations with lower access to technology, such as poorer and rural populations. Often on ground, we have come across many such small businesses that are informal, solo-run and/or family owned with very limited human and capital resources. Lack of sufficient financial and digital literacy that curtails use of technology for business management, leading to inefficiencies and subsequently, impacting profitability. No standardized bookkeeping practices, resulting in poor visibility on cash… Read More