In an effort to boost provincial government\u2019s vaccine storage and distribution telecommunications giant Vodacom has handed over 257 new cold chain units valued at R3,6 million across the province. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The handover took place at Groote Schuur Hospital on Thursday 7 April. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The equipment enables the Western Cape Department of Health to boost Covid-19 vaccine storage and distribution, especially to more remote communities, while maintaining vaccine efficacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company donated R74 million in the procurement of cold chain equipment, ensuring the safe delivery and administration of Covid-19 vaccines and other life-saving medicine, to several countries in sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The country received 2 197 units of this essential equipment in the fight against the pandemic. The units will be distributed across all nine provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andre Hoffman, Executive Head for Strategic Programmes at Vodacom, says cold-chain management is a crucial part of ensuring a safe and effective inoculation drive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVaccines require uninterrupted refrigeration which meet certain temperature requirements, from the place of manufacturing until the point of administration. If the cold chain is broken at any point from arrival to administration, this may affect the effectiveness and efficacy of vaccines, which means they become potentially unsafe for immunisation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He says the department of health relied on domestic type of fridges in the past that gave them a \u201crelatively low resilience\u201d but was acceptable for pre-Covid-19 vaccines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen Covid-19 started the vaccines needed a much higher resilience in terms of cold chain technology. You\u2019re looking at between -25 and -15 \u00b0C, which the department did not have at the time. Our investment provided that resilience.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoffman says the Western Cape received 12% of the donation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 257 cold chain units donated to the province consist of six vaccine freezers, 40 ice-lined vaccine fridges, 80 cooler boxes, 125 electronic temperature loggers, two remote temperature devices and four remote probes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He says the equipment will also be distributed to 51 sites across all six districts of the province. This includes Cape Town Metro Municipality, Cape Winelands District Municipality, Central Karoo District Municipality, Garden Route District Municipality, Overberg District Municipality and West Coast District Municipality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoffman says: \u201cThe fridges that we supply would in extended power outages keep the integrity of the vaccine to about seven days. The cooler boxes that we provide would assist to go to far reaching remote areas which probably wouldn\u2019t have seen a vaccine before and still maintain the vaccine\u2019s integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carol Hall, Managing Executive for the company in the province, says: \u201cThrough the investment and distribution of cold-chain equipment throughout the Western Cape, we are ensuring citizens have greater access to safely stored vaccines. This is a critical step towards building an inclusive post-pandemic future.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hall says the equipment can also assist government beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, with the storage and distribution of other life-saving medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bernadette Eick, Head of Clinical Services at the hospital, says the donation has been beneficial to the hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen the Covid-19 vaccine started there was a lot of critical thinking around how we on the African continent could cope with such temperatures we needed to maintain. Having a freezer that can provide these temperatures was extremely significant and it helped us to get going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kim Lowenherz, Director for Pharmaceutical Services in the province, says the impact of the donations has been life changing for many facilities <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been able to provide cold chain facilities, not just the freezers but fridges as well for rural communities and the cooler boxes we received have also been vital to getting these vaccines to where our vaccination centres have been. And we\u2019ve been able to maintain the integrity of the vaccines. We can also use it for other vaccinations so it\u2019s not a once-off use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Premier Alan Winde thanked the company for their donation which ensures that more people get access to life-saving Covid-19 vaccines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs we exit the national state of disaster and disaster regulations, each of us need to assume greater personal responsibility. We can do this by practising the golden rules of good hygiene. We should also protect those at risk of severe disease, by acting responsibly. Getting vaccinated is also the right choice to make so that we save lives and jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Winde encouraged people to get vaccinated and warns that the country can expect a fifth wave as colder temperatures approach.<\/span> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In an effort to boost provincial government\u2019s vaccine storage and distribution telecommunications giant Vodacom has handed over 257 new cold chain units valued at R3,6 million across the 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