Pakistanis are starting to realize the value of philanthropy incrementally day by day – credited hugely by charity organizations and public schemes.
However, sometimes, it isn’t merely the “thought” that counts when evaluating philanthropic activity in the country. Philanthropy, similar to a plethora of other processes, has to be monitored. This extends to philanthropy in regards to healthcare initiatives.
It was recently reported on the 3rd of March, 2015, that 1.3 million doses of vaccines valued at $3.7 million, donated by UNICEF, were wasted due to failure to store them properly. This abomination resulted in the dismissal of two senior health officials
The vaccines in question were classified as pentavalent vaccines – vaccines used to treat the following five diseases for infants:
Sadly, such intolerable practices have extended to the commercial sphere as well. Local pharmacies don’t even abide by sound practices when dispatching temperature sensitive products, namely vaccines, to customers. A plastic bag and a few ice cubes supposedly “do the trick” for them.
That’s where Sehat enters the picture. Sehat maintains a proper cold chain facility for vaccines, insulin, and other temperature sensitive products. Our temperature sensitive products are stored in a cold chain fridge, constantly maintained between 2-8 degrees Celsius.
Once an order for such an item has been placed, the item is removed from the fridge and placed immediately in to a Styrofoam box with gel packs to maintain its temperature. It is then transferred to the packaging department that places an appropriate number of gel packs in another Styrofoam box, based on the outdoor temperature of the origin location (Lahore) and the destination – this data has been evaluated after more than three years of dedicated research by the Cold Chain department. The item is then placed in a zip-lock bag to preserve its efficacy during delivery by preventing breakage, and then placed in the new Styrofoam box. The Styrofoam box is then placed in a Sehat-branded cardboard box, and shipped to the customer’s destination through a courier service that guarantees proper temperature maintenance during delivery – appropriate stickers are placed on the cardboard box to notify the customer of this.
Read more on blog.sehat.com.pk