PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, March 16: The speakers brainstormed on several issues about social entrepreneurship.
The occasion was the ‘5th Social Entrepreneurship Conclave’ organised by XLRI on a virtual platform on Tuesday.
The conclave which continued late in the evening was anchored by the Social Initiative Group for Managerial Assistance (SIGMA) and was organized under the aegis of Fr. Arrupe Center for Ecology and Sustainability (FACES) in association with Destiny Reflections.
The conclave sought to deliberate and have an enriching discourse over rural healthcare in modern India and to create a platform for the exchange of ideas, challenges and solutions among the speakers and the attendees by means of interactive sessions in the conclave.
The theme of the conclave was, ‘Strengthening Rural Healthcare in Modern India.’
The conclave brought together social changemakers, pioneers and young dedicated social entrepreneurs hosting insightful discussions on the topic.
It saw six speakers who ventured out of their comfort zones to bring tangible changes in society. They have made significant contributions in areas such as nutrition, Covid relief, rural healthcare and development.
The conclave was inaugurated by Anand Bang, joint director at the Society for Education, Action & Research in Community Health (SEARCH), a non-profit organisation of Maharashtra.
He delivered the key-note address and covered the broad aspects of rural healthcare. In the context of identifying a problem and working towards the solution.
He spoke about the need for social entrepreneurs to ‘go where the problems are and work to resolve them’.
The first panel included discussions on the topic of ‘Bridging the last mile in Rural Healthcare.’
The speakers for the first panel were Sujay Santra, founder and CEO of iKURE; Thulasiraj Ravilla, founding member and director of Aravind Eye Care System; and Radhika Batra, founder and president, Every Infant Matters.
The panel discussed how accessibility was a major problem when it came to rural healthcare, and how technology while being a powerful tool, is not enough.
They discussed the issues with logistics and how it was a major challenge in the healthcare sector.
The conversation extended into how healthcare providers need to have the mindset to provide accessibility to rural communities.
The panel concluded as the panelists agreed that true transformation could only be brought by the young educated generations who can do a lot for their hometowns and villages.
