Odisha CM Flags Off New Vaccine, Blood Collection Vans To Improve Services In Remote Areas

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday flagged off new blood collection and vaccine vans for service at different regions of the state.

These vans will enhance the capacity to serve in remote areas, the Chief Minister said after the vans rolled out.

Five new mobile blood collection vans rolled out to four districts. While two vans set out for keonjhar, one went to each to Angul, Jharsuguda and Kandhamal.

Currently there are 56 blood banks and 14 mobile blood collection vans in the state including these 5. More mobile collection vans will be added to existing strength.

As a part of life saving measure and in order to increase voluntary blood collection in remote areas, blood collection vans are being supplied to different health facilities.

In November 2019, a total of 9 mobile blood collection vans were supplied  and are stationed at the Blood Banks of SCB MC&H- Cuttack, MKCG MC&H- Berhampur, VIMSAR-Burla, DHH-Bolangir, SLNMC&H-Koraput, DHH-Baripada, DHH- Balasore, DHH-Bargarh and RGH-Rourkela resulting an increase of  the total voluntary blood collection from 89,917 units in 2020 to 1,26,747 units in 2022.

In order to further carry forward this trend, another 5 fully fabricated mobile blood collection vans (which include Collection Equipment such as Donor Couch, Blood Storage Refrigerator, Blood Collection Monitor, Blood Bag Sealer and Ancillaries such as generator, inverter etc.) are procured by the State Government @ Rs 54,02,800/- per van leading to total cost of Rs 2,70,14,000/- (Inclusive of Blood Collection Equipment & ancillaries.

This will definitely help common citizens for their requirement of blood.

Similarly 10 Insulated Vaccine Vans were also flagged off. While 1 Van will serve at the State Vaccine Store, 9 other vans will serve at 9 regional vaccine stores namely, Balasore, Bolangir, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Koraput, Phulbani, Sambalpur and Sundargarh.

Universal Immunisation Programme has an aim to reduce the mortality and morbidity caused due to vaccine preventable diseases. For universal and timely coverage vaccines are stored and transported to various stores and implementation sites located throughout the state.

To achieve this goal a very crucial mandate is to maintain the Cold Chain System of all vaccines at all levels up to the immunisation point.

Insulated vaccine vans play a very important role in transportation of temperature sensitive  vaccines from high level vaccine stores to field level stores and Immunization points.

The state has one State Vaccine Store, 32 District Vaccine Stores and 1190 Cold Chain Points for safe storage of vaccines.

OSMCL has procured 10  Vaccine Vans to ensure smooth vaccine supply across the state.

The 10 vaccine vans are procured at the total cost of Rs 3,32,67,000 out of the state budget.

Health & Family Welfare Minister Niranjan Pujari, Secretary to CM  VK Pandian and Health Secretary Salini Pandit were among those present.