Bungoma County’s health sector has received a major boost following the commissioning of its first-ever dedicated vaccine cold room and a specialized transport truck, a development expected to improve vaccine storage, distribution and immunization services across the county.
The facilities, donated by Rotary International through Rotary Club of Bungoma Magharibi and other Rotary Clubs and District partners, were officially handed over at Webuye County Hospital and are set to transform the county’s vaccine cold-chain system by reducing logistical challenges and ensuring vaccines remain within the required temperatures from storage to health facilities.
Speaking during the handover, Rotary International District 9215 Governor Saad Rahma said the project was driven by a needs assessment conducted Rotary Club of Bungoma Magharibi in partnership with Bungoma County Government, Department of Health and Hospital management.
“One of Rotary’s core seven areas is Disease Prevention, and this has a dramatic impact on how this is being done,” Rahman said.
He said the cold room would provide the required conditions for storing vaccines, including BCG and polio vaccines, helping to preserve their potency and maximize their shelf life.
The approximately 73- cubic meter volume cold room is fitted with a dual condenser system providing a backup mechanism to uninterrupted refrigeration where one condenser can operate while other is rested and maintained to ensure the system is effective and reliable for long time.
The project also involved training and capacity building for Biomedical Engineers and Health workers tasked with operating and maintaining the equipment and immunization exercises respectively.
DG Rahman said that the initiative was made possible through collaboration among several Rotary clubs and districts, including,
Rotary Club of Bungoma Magharibi, Rotary Club of Tully, Rotary Club of Sacramento, Rotary Club of Madras Coromandel, Rotary Club of Chennai Sagar and the collaboration with Rotary District 9215, District 7180, District 3250 and District 5180.
He said the project demonstrates the impact of partnerships between Rotary and Government institutions in addressing critical community health needs.
Dr Emma Nyaboke, the Deputy Director from Department of Health,Bungoma County, said although the cold room is located at Webuye County Hospital, it will serve the entire county.
She said the donated vaccine transport truck has the capacity to carry enough vaccines to serve Bungoma for up to three months, significantly reducing the number of trips health officials make to the regional vaccine store in Kakamega.
Previously, Bungoma County relied on a vehicle with limited capacity and cool boxes to collect vaccines from Kakamega, approximately 60 kilometres away. This often required several trips each quarter.
“Now we only need to go once, pick the vaccines for the entire county, come and distribute, and wait again for another quarter when we shall be able to pick another set of vaccines,” said Dr Nyaboke.
She said the new facility would improve the efficiency of vaccine distribution while helping maintain vaccine potency and reduce wastage associated with inadequate storage and transportation.
Dr Nyaboke assured Rotary and other partners that the county Government of Bungoma would take responsibility for maintaining the cold room and transport vehicle to guarantee the sustainability of the project.
“It is going to save a lot of lives for us, for our babies, and that is a major goal for us as a county — that we are able to save the lives of our children who are the future of this county,” she said.
Meanwhile, Eng.Ernest Some, the Assistant Director of Medical Engineering Services at the Ministry of Health and Head of Cold Chain at the National Vaccines and Immunization Programme, commended Rotary for supporting Bungoma with a cold-chain facilityu designed to meet World Health Organisation standards.
The project is expected to strengthen Bungoma County’s immunization programme by improving vaccine storage and transportation, reducing logistical costs and ensuring health facilities have timely access to potent vaccines.
For Bungoma, the new cold room and specialized transport truck mark a significant milestone in strengthening the county’s health infrastructure and protecting thousands of children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
