The SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Finance Facility, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IPE Global, has committed Rs 5.98 crore to Skill Tree, a leading skill training organisation in India, to provide healthcare related skill development and livelihood support to 2,553 youth from remote locations across India, especially Maharashtra.

The objective of this project is to motivate and train youth from marginalised sections of society, primarily women, to pursue employment and entrepreneurship in the healthcare sector as their primary career option.

Under the aegis of Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC) and National Skill Development Cooperation (NSDC), the project will impart trainings to develop phlebotomy technicians, dietetic aides and tele-health service coordinators. 

The certified candidates will set up a total of 14 telehealth centres, take up door-to-door diagnostic tests and opt for wage-linked opportunities in the industry. For the candidates qualified to set up the telehealth centres, Skill Tree will facilitate subsidised loans through various government-led schemes and other financing sources.

Using SAMRIDH’s blended finance approach, Skill Tree,  along with the funds secured by certified candidates for establishing telehealth centres, will mobilise additional capital to the tune to Rs 12.71 crore, thereby getting a leverage of 2.12x over and above the SAMRIDH support. On project completion, approximately 1 lakh people are expected to be served from all the telehealth centres while skilled phlebotomy technicians will cater to 10 lakh people and dietetic aides will serve 1 lakh people.

Marking its first milestone, the project has successfully trained and certified more than 1,300 candidates till date across Aurangabad, Nashik, Pune, Amravati, Akola and Nagpur in the specified roles.