USA hands over freezers to health ministry
US Ambassador to Namibia Randy Berry on Tuesday handed over 26 mobile freezers and 21 temperature monitoring systems to the health ministry to reduce spoilage of medication by maintaining the required storage temperature.
The equipment is valued at N$1.2 million.The mobile freezers can easily be charged by a car battery and maintain a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius.These freezers enable the ministry to transport vaccines and other medicines throughout the country without affecting their quality.
A statement from the embassy said the monitoring devices will be installed at key health facilities in all 14 regions of the country 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,” highlighted Berry at the ceremony.
Ben Nangombe, the executive director in the health ministry, responded they value the support and will use the equipment accordingly to ensure the public gets quality vaccines.
The mobile freezers and temperature monitoring devices were procured with funding from the United States Agency for International Development through its Global Health Supply Chain Programme.