Report on Cold Chain Assessment of Jharkhand - 2005 - Nccvmtc.org

Cold Chain Assessment in Jharkhandcuts are few; 32 sites have no power supply at all. The existing voltage stabilizers are unableto cope with voltage below 150 kVa.Irregular power supply is handled in various ways at different locations. While at somePHCs, short-term needs, for the pulse polio catch-up rounds for instance, are met by buyingblocks of ice and using the cold boxes to store the vaccines; at others, the vaccines are transferredto an alternative site when there are extended power breakdowns. In many cases, however,the same system is used for the regular programme too, with the vaccine being held forsome days in cold boxes with ice-packs and ice slabs from factories. In order to assure qualityvaccine, thermometers must accompany such storage systems, and this is frequently not thecase. At Tonto, the MoIC made alternative arrangements by requesting out of scope authorization(to transfer the refrigeration equipment to the ACC plant medical service, where thepower supply was considered reliable. The routine programme is now run from this facility,as is the management of Pulse Polio campaigns.Irregular power supply is most often handled by avoiding long periods of vaccine storage atthe PHC site. Vaccine is fetched on a weekly basis, a day prior to the routine immunizationday, and only the quantity required to meet the PHC and its sub posts’ demands is brought.The vaccine is then stored in cold boxes and vaccine carriers. The surplus vaccine remainingafter immunization is returned to the district store; but the practice of returning the unusedvials is reported only at a few sites and is not reflected in the stock records.At Saraikhela Kharsawa, the equipment from the district store has been shifted to Chandil subdepot due to frequent breakdowns and poor voltage at the DHQ.31