Mangaluru, March 26: The Manipal Foundation has donated 23 portable, battery-powered refrigeration devices to the Karnataka Health Department to enhance vaccine storage during transportation. These new devices aim to replace the traditional ice-based vaccine carriers currently in use.

Speaking at an event held at KMC Hospital, Ambedkar Circle, on March 25, District Health and Family Welfare Officer H.R. Thimmaiah highlighted the challenges health workers face in maintaining the required cooling temperatures with the older ice-based carriers.

An ICMR report indicates that nearly 50% of vaccines are wasted due to inadequate cooling during transport. To address this, the Karnataka government has approved a trial run of these innovative refrigeration devices, which can maintain temperatures between 2°C and 8°C. Each unit weighs 6.4 kg and costs approximately ₹2 lakh.

The Manipal Foundation’s donation includes 21 devices, which will be distributed to PHCs with sub-centres in remote areas. Specifically, five devices each will be allocated to Bantwal and Puttur taluks, while four devices each will go to Belthangady, Mangaluru, and Sullia taluks.

Dr. Thimmaiah confirmed that healthcare workers have undergone initial training sessions, with an additional session conducted at the Government Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangaluru on March 25. Health workers will submit monthly reports on device usage to the State headquarters to monitor their effectiveness.

The event saw participation from Regional Chief Operating Officer of KMC Hospital, Mangaluru, Saghir Siddiqui, and Mangaluru Taluk Health Officer Sujay Bhandary. Anusha, a primary health care worker from Ganjimutt PHC, was one of the recipients of the new refrigeration device.