Odisha Chief Minister flagged off new blood collection and vaccine vans for service in different regions across the state

Bhubaneswar:9/3/23: Odisha  Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today flagged off new blood collection and vaccine vans for service in different regions of the State.

These vans will enhance our capacity to serve in remote areas, the Chief Minister said after the vans rolled out. 5 New Mobile Blood Collection Vans rolled out to 4 districts. 2 vans set out for Keonjhar and 1 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 the life-saving measures 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 the year 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 the total cost of Rs 2,70,14,000/- (Inclusive of Blood Collection Equipment & ancillaries.

This will definitely help common citizens with their requirements for 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 Immunization Programme aims 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 immunization point.

Insulated vaccine vans play a very important role in the transportation of temperature-sensitive vaccines from high-level vaccine stores to field-level stores and Immunization points.Odisha has 1 State Vaccine Store, 32 District Vaccine Stores and 1190 Cold Chain Points for the safe storage of vaccines.

OSMCL has procured 10 no. of Vaccine Vans to ensure smooth vaccine supply across the state. The 10 numbers of vaccine vans are procured at the total cost of Rs 3,32,67,000/- ( @ Rs 33,26,700/- per van) out of the State budget.

Health & Family Welfare Minister Niranjan Pujari, Secretary to CM VK Pandian, Health Secretary Smt Salini Pandit, MD medical corporation Ms D Brunda and officers of the Health Department were present on the occasion.