Rafed, Abu Dhabi’s group purchasing organisation (GPO) for healthcare supplies and equipment, has celebrated a new operational milestone after successfully overseeing the storage and supply of millions of COVID-19 vaccines doses via its dedicated Rafed Distribution Centre in the UAE capital.

The dedicated pharmaceutical facility, which measures 19,000 square meters and incorporates eight state-of-the-art cold chambers with the capacity to store up to 120 million vaccine vials, caters to all temperature bands ranging from 2-8ºC for PPE and medical equipment, to -80ºC deep freezer capabilities for vaccine storage.

Rashed Saif Al Qubaisi, chief executive officer of Rafed, said: “What the Rafed team has been able to achieve over the past seven months is incredible and our facilities continue to play a critical role in enabling the UAE’s immunisation initiatives. We are still a relatively young company and the ability to process over three million vaccine doses each month is proof that Rafed is providing a key link in the nation’s logistics chain and enabling centralised procurement services across the Emirates.”

In addition to essential cold storage facilities for COVID-19 vaccines, the Rafed Distribution Center also houses cutting-edge radio frequency scanning for dispatch and inventory control systems, as well as advanced building monitoring.

“This is a critical milestone for Rafed and the entire healthcare supply chain,” added Al Qubaisi. “While our priority has been the rapid supply of COVID-19 vaccines, our aim is to build on the facility’s success in coming months and expand our ability to reduce operational costs for healthcare providers while ensuring effective and timely delivery of essential medical supplies across the region.”

In addition to COVID-19 vaccine doses, the Rafed Distribution Center houses syringes and needles used in the delivery of the vaccine and personal protective equipment (PPE).