Originally published by SHOPS Plus

AccèsBanque branch managers with a SHOPS Plus team member. From left to right: A. Sariaka Ravoniarison (Tsironomandidy), Iony T. Rasamoela (SHOPS Plus), Mbola L. Rabarioelina (Mahajanga), and Tahiana Andriamanamiharisoa (Tamatave). | Credit: Ignacio Estevez

Banks typically don’t look to the health sector as a market ripe with opportunity, which means that private health providers often can’t get the capital they need to invest in their business. After working with SHOPS Plus access to finance specialists, AccèsBanque in Madagascar is changing the way it looks at the health sector and finding more lending opportunities. The project trained 190 bank staff members on the prospects of lending to health care providers and instructed private providers on business skills necessary to get a loan.

Mbola L. Rabarioelina is a branch manager with AccèsBanque in Mahajanga, Madagascar, who recently completed the course. She quickly saw the potential of expanding the bank’s services into the health sector, which in turn would benefit the community.

As a result of knowledge gained through SHOPS Plus training on the health sector, bank managers feel comfortable meeting with doctors to discuss their business operations.” — Mbola L. Rabarioelina, Branch Manager, AccèsBanque

Rabarioelina also noted that health providers had not previously contemplated working with the bank because they thought AccèsBanque would be unable to offer the financial services they required.

After a training event in the Tamatave region, the staff was invited to present the bank’s products and services to a group of health professionals.  As a result, the bank opened various business and consumer accounts and has developed a reputation for understanding the needs of the private health sector.

Rabarioelina said that the Mahajanga branch had also seen an increase in business from the private health sector. After interacting more with the health sector, the branch decided that through their corporate social responsibility program, they would support the Centre de Santé de Base Tanambao II.

In Tsironomandidy, the branch manager reported that for a rural branch like his, the SHOPS Plus training program helped in reaching out to new customers in the health sector and in generating interest from local providers.

All branch managers who attended the training events requested additional training and support in expanding their relationships with health practitioners.  SHOPS Plus plans to continue building on these efforts to strengthen the private health sector, which will result in improved quality of health services and increased coverage of services throughout Madagascar.