Aizawl: The SELCO Foundation on Tuesday handed over 30 electronic vaccine carriers (EVCs) to the Mizoram government to strengthen vaccine delivery in remote and hard-to-reach areas of Mamit, Lawngtlai and Lunglei districts.
The EVCs were handed over to Health Minister Lalrinpuii at her office chamber at MINECO.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Lalrinpuii thanked the SELCO Foundation for its continued support to Mizoram’s health sector. She said the foundation had already installed solar energy systems at 530 health centres across the state and established a 10-metric-tonne walk-in cooler in Aizawl.
With the addition of the 30 EVCs, the support would further strengthen the state’s immunisation infrastructure, particularly in areas where Health and Wellness Centres and sub-centres are not available, she said.
The minister said Mizoram’s mountainous terrain and difficult-to-access locations often pose challenges to healthcare delivery. The EVCs would help address some of these challenges by allowing vaccines to be transported and stored at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C for up to 35 hours, she said.
“This will be particularly useful for people living in remote areas, ensuring that they can receive vaccines on time,” she said.
Lalrinpuii also highlighted Mizoram’s progress in immunisation, saying the state had achieved 100.4% coverage in HPV vaccination.
She urged officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department to continue efforts to strengthen immunisation and other healthcare services across the state.
The EVCs are lightweight, portable and solar-powered. Each carrier is valued at around Rs 1.5 lakh.
The handover ceremony was chaired by Health and Family Welfare Department Commissioner and Secretary Lalzarmawii. Representatives of the SELCO Foundation also made a technical presentation on the EVCs.