Vaccine storage with cold route: A new building opened at the Central Medical Stores Depot

The 4-storey new building at the Central Medical Stores Depot of the Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health was opened at the Cold Storage Depot in Yangon on Tuesday.

First, Union Minister for Health Dr Thet Khaing Win, the Yangon Region Chief Minister, the Director General of the Public Health Department formally opened the new building.

At the opening ceremony, the Union Minister said that now, with the extension of vaccination program, it needs more space for storing medicines and medical supplies and so, the 4-storey new building was built in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) at a cost of 2.3 billion kyats and the construction was completed in April 2023.

The Union Minister added that various kind of vaccines can be transported systematically without losing the cold route, and the occurrence of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines in the pregnant women and children and the death rate can be reduced as the vaccination programs can be conducted effectively.

It can enhance the health standard of the children and improve more socio-economic life. After that, the Yangon Region Chief Minister said that the Regional Government is providing assistance in the necessary tasks of the Public Health Department of Yangon Region, storing vaccines at the necessary temperature, security measures for the cold storage room of vaccines, fire safety, sanitation and measures for smooth work flow.

And then, a video clip commemorating the ceremony was shown and the Director General of Public Health Department presented commemorative gift.

The Union Minister, the Region Chief Minister and officials viewed around the vaccine storage cold room and the cold route system in the building.

The new building is facilitated with 7 Walk In Coolers, 4 Walk In Freezers, Ultra Cold Chain Freezers, Dry Store rooms of syringes and related materials, office rooms, meeting rooms, a training hall that can capacitate about 400 people and space for about 50 trainees, lifts for people and material loading and unloading, solar power systems and two 300 KVA Back-up Generators and 1000-gallon tanks.

As the vaccine storage capacity, it can store the one year's supply of the country's vaccine needs. Through the sub-depots of vaccine storage cold rooms in regions and states, the quality vaccines can be transported up to rural area without losing cold route.

By vaccinating, the occurrence of diseases and death rates can be reduced among pregnant women, children and people.