The Global Context—A Clarion Call
The Lancet, a prestigious medical weekly says, “The global ambition towards universal health coverage by 2030 necessitates ensuring that all populations have good access to quality health services.” This is from a recent report published in May 2018, on the study of Global Burden of Diseases.
Of the 195 countries worldwide, that featured in this insightful report, healthcare conditions of Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, USA and India have been discussed in much detail.
Tech Mahindra Foundation’s healthcare programme is a ray of hope. In a positive initiative, the foundation has come up as a game changer to the healthcare scenario of the country, which is based on SMART Academy (Skills for Market Training) as envisioned by Dr. Loveleen Kacker, CEO, Tech Mahindra Foundation. Following this vision, .
Tech Mahindra SMART Academy for Healthcare, Delhi which comes under the umbrella of Tech Mahindra Foundation, was launched in the year 2016. Following the success of SMART Academy, Delhi, the other SMART Academies for Healthcare were launched, with the same key driving forces, which are:
1) Empowering through Education
2) Expertise in Skilling
3) Generating Employment Opportunities
4) Contributing to society
Tech Mahindra Foundation’s Contribution towards a Healthcare Revolution
Photos Courtesy: Tech Mahindra Foundation
Out of the 195 countries, India ranked 145, behind most of its neighbouring countries. As per various reports, one of the key reasons for the setback of the healthcare system in India is lack of allied healthcare professionals. To deal with this problem, Tech Mahindra Foundation has set up various SMART Healthcare Academies located in Delhi, Mohali and Mumbai. The key objectives of these SMART Academies for Healthcare are –
Quality Training: Through proper training and first-hand experience, these SMART Academies for Healthcare believes in creating skilled paramedical professionals. Also, with quality education, the Academies make the students economically sustainable and contribute towards the society after completion of the course
Job-ready Students: These Academies have the latest medical equipment and quality in mind. On-job training is mandatory for all the paramedical courses with students joining reputed hospitals and other healthcare facilities for internships ranging from 2 to 6 months. Apart from paramedical knowledge, students are also given training in English, soft skills and IT to make them job-ready.
Placement Assistance: With the Academies’ industry partnerships, students are placed in well-established hospitals, labs and healthcare facilities. There are dedicated teams in all the Academies who are busy preparing students for job interviews and helping them in getting placed after they complete their course.
The various SMART Academies for Healthcare located across India have successfully placed hundreds of young men and women in reputed hospitals, laboratories, clinics, and so on. The Academies’ robust process, stringent monitoring system and industry-led approach, has created a model for scaling up skill development while maintaining high training standards.
Spearheaded by Tech Mahindra Foundation`s CEO Dr. Loveleen Kacker, who believes in an educated and skilled India, SMART Academies for Healthcare is a corporate social responsibility initiative that is enormous in its scope and impact, and has its heart in the right place.
The Foundation has ignited a sense of heroism infused with a proactive approach, at the centre of which stands the students of SMART Healthcare Academy. These trained students of the SMART Academies will carry the baton of filling up the gap in the delivery of quality healthcare.
Dr. Kacker`s message conveys hope and optimism –
Photo Courtesy: Tech Mahindra Foundation
“Tech Mahindra Foundation is tirelessly working towards education and skilling. Apart from the healthcare sector, the Foundation also provides vocational training in multiple sectors like service, retail, hospitality, technical roles like welders, electricians, etc. through the various SMART Centres located across the country.
The very first Tech Mahindra SMART Academy for Healthcare was set up at Gandhi Ashram in Kingsway Camp, New Delhi, in collaboration with the Harijan Sevak Sangh, while the second Tech Mahindra SMART Academy for Healthcare is in Mohali, Chandigarh. Tech Mahindra SMART Academies are world-class, state-of-the-art institutions that train young men and women in courses such as Dialysis Technician, X-ray and Imaging Technology, Operation Theatre Technician, Medical Records Technology, Medical Lab Technology, etc. To our students in SMART Academies across India, I would like to say that if you study hard, you can be assured that your work in the future will be more than just a job. You will be carrying out a service to society. People will trust you with the lives of their loved ones—their mothers and fathers, siblings and children. You might be the first person at the scene of an accident, or assisting a surgeon or helping someone through early diagnosis of a life-threatening diseases. From our side, we promise to assist you through your training not just with the best of infrastructure, laboratories and study material, but also with the soft skills and emotional skills to handle these situations.”
To enhance student involvement in the larger healthcare goal, Tech Mahindra Foundation’s #MainBhiHero campaign is a milestone.
#MainBhiHero
For a youth to think about becoming a student of Tech Mahindra SMART Academy for Healthcare, he or she needs to get inspired. Aptly called the #MainBhiHero Movement, Tech Mahindra SMART Academy for Healthcare is encouraging the marginalised youth of India to take up healthcare courses which evokes the power of being responsible to oneself, family, society and nation at large by instilling a sense of heroism that has a mix of thoughtfulness and kindness.
Photos Courtesy: Tech Mahindra Foundation
In fact, at the base of this evocative approach lies the core driving component of the initiative – Individual Social Responsibility. According to this initiative, each and everyone is a part of the society and they can motivate the youth in joining the healthcare programmes of the SMART Academies.
Through the #MainBhiHero movement, Tech Mahindra SMART Academy for Healthcare is encouraging the youth of India to take up paramedical courses and secure jobs in leading hospitals. The campaign creates impact at different tiers, enabling youth groups, the ones who will actually get to learn, and others who would play the role of messengers contributing to reducing the skill-gap.
There are some really inspiring stories which have come out of this movement like that of Rajinder Kaur, Pooja Pal and Amandeep Singh to name a few.
Rajinder Kaur, now 39 years old, is a patient care trainee at Max Hospital. She was married at a young age just after completing her 12th standard. Her dreams of pursuing academics and becoming self-reliant then remained incomplete. Growing financial constraints at home made her seek new avenues and that is when an opportunity came knocking at her door. She came to know about a drive-by Tech Mahindra`s SMART Academy for Healthcare and immediately enrolled for a course there. Once the course was completed, she became certified as a General Duty Assistant.
Going beyond the expectation of her family, Pooja Pal is currently interning at Rajiv Gandhi Hospital in Delhi as an Emergency Medical Technician. Due to lack of guidance in her growing years, Pooja was unaware of her potential and lacked confidence. Only after joining SMART Academy for Healthcare was her confidence boosted under the guidance of the mentors. Today she has become a role model for the #MaiBhiHero movement.
Amandeep Singh, a young boy from Bhatinda was someone with an inherent desire to help people who needed medical care and lacked support. It was this desire that found him a home in SMART Academy. He is currently interning in Fortis Hospital, Mohali. Now Amandeep feels even more responsible and motivated to inspire others to become Heroes.
#MainBhiHero Movement is getting implemented via its flagship professional training programmes being conducted through SMART Academies currently located at Delhi, Mohali and Mumbai. The SMART Academy for Healthcare, Mumbai is the latest to join the league and is an all-women institute, both faculty and students.
The 360-degree holistic design of the training program at the SMART Academies for Healthcare includes both theory and practical classes along with guest faculties from various reputed healthcare academies and organisations. The curriculum which is crafted at per with global standards is taught by an experienced faculty, with practical classes held at well-equipped laboratories, followed by hands on training at leading hospitals.
Having trained fully, the students become enablers, distinct from the medical team, are able to provide therapeutic, and technical support, functioning as the ground plinth of the system. Each year, hundreds of young women and men are trained to take up the challenges in allied medical spheres and serve the nation.
Source: natgeotraveller.in
