Daily Times

WHO Regional Director Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari and WHO Pakistan Representative Dr Palitha Mahipala inaugurated the Dry Storage Warehouse at the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI) to enhance the warehouse’s storage capacity for vaccine-related supplies and other equipment.

Representatives from the government participated in the launching event. Dr Al-Mandhari visited Pakistan to participate in the Polio Oversight Board, meeting with high-level leadership.

The newly established facility has enhanced the warehouse’s storage capacity for vaccine-related supplies and other equipment. The Dry store has a covered area of 1674 Cubic meters, whereas the Racks’ storage capacity is 1400 cubic meters. Following WHO’s standards, the facility is equipped with a cargo lift, concrete ramp, pallet racking, firefighting, and CCTV system.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr al Mandhari said, “WHO is committed to supporting Pakistan’s Federal and Provincial governments to technically implement the Routine Immunization Program in the country and improve the health infrastructure for quality services”. He also appreciated the close collaboration between WHO and government counterparts to deliver the health programs.

Speaking at the event, Dr Palitha Mahipala said, “The warehouse will cater to the infrastructure needs of rapidly evolving operations of FDI and help expand the service delivery.” He thanked the government and FDI leadership for their cooperation during the construction phase despite an extensive commitment to the COVID-19 vaccination program.

In September 2021, WHO Representative Dr Palitha Mahipala laid the ground-breaking stone of the warehouse to enhance the well-needed storage capacity of the vaccination supplies, including COVID-19 and injectable vaccine campaigns. The government counterpart thanked WHO for their continued support in improving public health infrastructure and technical assistance.