Regional Chief Operating Officer of KMC Hospital Mangaluru Saghir Siddiqui and Dakshina Kannada District Health and Family Welfare Officer H.R. Thimmaiah handed over a new portable refrigeration device for carrying vaccines to a health worker from Ganjimutt Primary Health Centre (PHC) on March 25, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Raghava M
The Manipal Foundation has donated 23 new portable battery operated refrigeration devices, which will help the Health Department of Karnataka maintain necessary cooling when vaccines are transported from primary health centres to distant sub health centres.
The new devices would replace the ice-based vaccine carriers – the rectangular white boxes – in which vaccines, packed with ice packets, are now being carried.
Speaking at a function in KMC Hospital, Ambedkar Circle, in Mangaluru on March 25, District Health and Family Welfare Officer H.R. Thmmaiah said the heath workers have found it difficult to maintain the required cooling in the rectangular boxes. An ICMR report says 50% of vaccines get wasted because of absence of required cooling during transportation.
To prevent this wastage, the department proposed to the government of Karnataka to purchase 400 new portable refrigerator devices, which maintains cooling between 2 and 8 degree Celsius required for vaccines. Each of the new devices weighs 6.4 kg and costs ₹2 lakh. The State Government permitted a trial of this new device.
“If this device works well, then more such devices will be procured for use for primary health centres in Dakshina Kannada. It is likely to be used in PHCs across Karnataka,” Dr. Thimmaiah said.
The foundation donated 21 refrigerator devices.
“These will be used by PHCs that have sub-centres in remote places,” said District Reproductive and Child Health Programme Officer B.V. Rajesh.
Fives devices each will be given to Bantwal and Puttur taluks, while four devices each will be given to Belthangady, Mangaluru and Sullia taluks.
Dr. Thimmaiah said the health workers had undergone one round of training. Another training session was held in Government Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangaluru on March 25. Every month, a report will be sent on the usage of the new devices to the State headquarters, Dr. Thimmaiah said.
Primary health care worker Anusha from Ganjimutt PHC was among the healthcare workers who received the refrigerator device at the function.
Regional Chief Operating Officer of KMC Hospital, Mangaluru, Saghir Siddiqui and Mangaluru Taluk Health Officer Sujay Bhandary were among those who participated in the event.
Published – March 26, 2025 03:41 pm IST
