Rafed, G42 Healthcare ink pact on storage of vaccines

ABU DHABI: Rafed, a healthcare group purchasing organisation that is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies, has signed a new agreement with G42 Healthcare, a healthcare technology company and a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based Group 42, to provide stateof-the-art services that include the provision of storage facilities for COVID-19 vaccines.

As part of the agreement between the two Abu Dhabi entities, Rafed will oversee the logistics including the management, transportation, and storage of the vaccine doses in the new designated facilities, in line with the requirements and standards of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health.

Rafed distribution centre is a dedicated pharmaceutical facility that can cater for all temperature band requirements.

Commenting on the agreement, Rashed Saif Al Qubaisi, Chief Executive Officer of Rafed, said, “As part of the efforts exerted to support the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines, this agreement is amongst the many big steps towards Hope Consortium partnership efforts in developing the operational and logistical synergies between our companies to secure the management, transportation, and storage of the COVID-19 vaccines ensuring timely deliveries and world-class distribution systems in the near future. We’re glad to be partnering with G42 Healthcare on this important mission serving humanity during this COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.”

Furthermore, Ashish Koshy, G42 Healthcare CEO, commented, “This partnership further cements G42 Healthcare’s role as a key global player leading the charge against a virus that has crippled the world. The agreement allows for all the cold chain warehousing and logistical requirements to be met while ensuring that vaccines are handled with utmost precision and in compliance with international safety standards. We see this as the first step in what will prove to be a long-term partnership with all other members of the Hope Consortium, as we stand connected in our shared vision of a COVID-19 free world.”

Rafed has also recently announced that the company signed a collaboration agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports to jointly launch the largest healthcare and medical supplies cold store distribution centre in the UAE. Under the strategic collaboration agreement, Abu Dhabi Ports will deliver a state-of-the-art warehouse and inventory management solution for upstream, midstream and downstream operations as Rafed’s fourth-party logistics service provider. The new distribution centre will be the largest, most technologically advanced centre in the UAE.