Odisha CM flags off blood collection, vaccine vans

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 9 (ANI): 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 our capacity to serve in remote areas, the Chief Minister said as he rolled out 5 new mobile blood collection vans to 4 districts.
2 vans set out for keonjhar and 1 each to Angul, Jharsuguda and Kandhamal.
According to a statement by the Chief Minister's Office, currently, there are 56 blood banks and 14 mobile blood collection vans in State including these 5.

"More mobile collection vans will be added to existing strength," the statement said.
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 the year 2022," it said.
"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 at Rs 54,02,800 per van leading to total cost of Rs 2,70,14,000," the statement added.
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 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 immunization 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.
OSMCL has procured 10 number of Vaccine Vans to ensure smooth vaccine supply across the state. (ANI)