A Public Private Partnership Initiative

State Innovations in Family Planning Project Services Agency (SIFPSA), Government of Uttar Pradesh, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT), a not for profit trust promoted by Hindustan Latex Limited, announced the launch of “Merrygold Health Network” at an inaugural function held in Lucknow ON 23rd August 2007. Mr. A.K. Mishra IAS Principal Secretary, Govt.of UP along with Mr. George Deikun, Mission Director, USAID inaugurated the launch program and unveiled the identity of Merrygold Health Network.

Merrygold Health Network is an innovative Social Franchising Program in India providing essential health care services to the poorer sections in the society. The program is being implemented through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) in an endeavor to make health care services accessible for the underprivileged.

The state of Uttar Pradesh has a high reliance on private health care providers for access to health facilities. The private providers are focused on curative care, which has limited their role in preventive and promotive health care. USAID and State Innovations in Family Planning Project Service Agency (SIFPSA) has developed an innovative social franchising program though consultations with various national and international experts.

The integrated network will work on referrals to ensure that health asset utilization is optimized and utmost value is delivered to the health care seeker. The franchised network will be developed as a sustainable social enterprise and after the initial funding of three years will continue to operate with the operating surplus of this network. This innovative Public Private Partnership will open a new channel for healthcare service delivery for the poor in UP.

As part of the program USAID and SIFPSA will be supporting Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT), for implementing the social franchising program in UP. HLFPPT will be developing, managing and sustaining Merrygold Health Network. The Merrygold network will provide high quality maternal and child health services at affordable prices. This network will comprise of seventy - 20-bed Merrygold Hospitals, 350 - Merrysilver clinics and 10,500 - Merrytarang Ayush partners. This network of providers will provide varied package of services at affordable prices. This program will.....third year ' with - This program was initially launched in six districts in the first year, and subsequently scaled up to 35 districts of UP by the third year.

This 20 bed Merrygold hospitals will provide maternal and child health services. Merrygold hospitals will provide emergency obstetric care facility. The Merrysilver clinic will provide basic obstetric care, family planning services, counseling and immunization services. The MerryAYUSH will provide health-counseling, condoms, Oral Contraceptives, Oral Rehydration Salts and Iron and Folic Acid tablets.

This network will aim at providing the health services at 50-60% of the private sector prices. The specialization on obstetrics and high volume will ensure that hospital could offer sub market prices and become sustainable

HLFPPT will be the franchiser responsible for selecting, appointing and managing the potential franchisees. HLFPPT will seek health care entrepreneurs keen on starting hospitals and provide them with support for accessing capital and needed accreditations. The quality of service delivery will be ensured by the quality assurance protocols and periodic quality audits will be done for ensuring consistency in delivering high quality services to the underprivileged sections.

The franchisees of this network will be provided training, marketing and quality assurance support. This network will provide high quality maternal and child health services at affordable prices. HLFPPT will be conducting process audits for ensuring that quality of care standards are maintained by the franchisees. As the franchising network expands HLFPPT will focus on developing linkages with community health insurance schemes, low cost generic drug marketing networks, equipment leasing etc for enhancing the value additions to the health care seekers and franchisees.