Bokaro: The district health department has developed 11 Cold Chain Points for storage of Covid-19 vaccines, which are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. New generators have been installed at each of the cold chain points to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity. The vaccine storage essentially required temperature between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius to keep their potency remain intact, said Dr N P Singh, in-charge civil surgeon, Bokaro.
The district health department has received four Ice-Lined Refrigerators (ILR) and two deep freezers specially for keeping Covid-19 vaccines from the state. An ILR can maintain a temperature from +2°C to +8°C with as little as 8 hours of power supply in 24 hours.
“If the electricity supply fails, then the ice lining maintains the inside temperature of the refrigerator at a safe level for vaccines. But we have not taken any risk and have installed new generators at each cold chain point start from the Block to the newly set up Cold Chain at ANM hostel near Sadar Hospital,” said Singh.
Already there are eight ILR are in Primary Health Centres (PHC’s) in each of the eight blocks. Routine immunisation samples were stocked there. Besides two ILR are there at Bermo and Chas Sub-Divisional hospitals. The new cold chain point has come up close to Sadar Hospital in the same building where Covid Care Centre is running these days.
All preparations have been completed for the stocking of Corona vaccine in the district. The dry run for the corona vaccine was conducted at the ANM Training Center at Bokaro Sadar Hospital under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Officer Chas, Shashiprakash Singh on Friday.
