Keeping meds iced
The Ambassador of the United States of America to Namibia, Randy Berry, handed over 26 mobile freezers and 21 temperature monitoring systems to the Ministry of Health and Social Services on Tuesday at the Central Medical Stores in Windhoek.The equipment valued N$1.2 million helps the ministry reduce spoilage of medication by maintaining the required storage temperature.
The mobile freezers can easily be charged by a car battery and maintain a temperature of -20°C. These freezers enable the ministry to transport vaccines and other medicines throughout the country without affecting their quality.
The monitoring devices will be installed at key health facilities in all 14 regions to monitor the temperature of warehouses and containers where medicines are kept. Should the storage temperature exceed the required range, an audible alarm goes off and a message is sent via SMS to the team. This allows health staff to timely rectify the situation before any medication is wasted. The installation of all monitoring devices will be completed by 9 April 2023.
“With this equipment, the Ministry of Health and Social Services will be able to cut costs, improve the management of medicines, and save more lives,” Ambassador Berry said.
Ben Nangombe, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services said: “I want to assure you that we value your support and will use this equipment accordingly to ensure that our public is getting quality vaccines”.
The mobile freezers and temperature monitoring devices were procured with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Global Health Supply Chain Program (GHSC-PSM).