Sotrovimab, an anti-viral treatment for COVID-19, is now available for early treatment of certain categories of COVID-19 patients in the UAE following an agreement between the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, the group purchasing organisation (GPO) Rafed, and biopharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). As a result, Abu Dhabi was the first location globally to receive this drug.
In an interview with Omnia Health Magazine, Theyab Al Mansouri, Executive Director of Supply Chain & Operations, Rafed, said that the GPO was established in September 2020 and plays a vital role in ensuring timely availability of supplies, especially when it comes to the logistics of COVID-19 vaccination. “Abu Dhabi becoming the first place to receive Sotrovimab is another feather in our hat,” he shared.
Moreover, Rafed has played a critical role in receiving the millions of COVID-19 vaccines from the manufacturers and supplying the vaccine and equipment related to COVID-19 to hospitals and healthcare facilities across the UAE. The company has a state-of-the-art facility in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) that streamlines the delivery to the healthcare facilities, ensuring the vaccine reaches these places promptly. The KIZAD facility is one of the largest healthcare and medical supply storage distribution centres that handle over three million COVID-19 vaccines each month. The facility is powered by cold storage technology provided by G42 Healthcare, which enables them to cater to various temperature ranges such as the minus 80 deep freezer capability for Pfizer and similar medication.
“It is vital to streamline and centralise the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and related items. Our team works with an extended network of SEHA hospitals, disease prevention screening centres, mobile clinic solutions, vaccination clinics and public health schools,” Al Mansouri highlighted.
He stressed that Rafed strives to offer a high level of service, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. The majority of the company’s work over the past year has been to supply COVID-19 vaccination and pharmaceutical and medical supplies. He said that Rafed would continue to forge partnerships with key players, both locally and internationally, to extend the ability to reduce costs for healthcare organisations and maintain quality.
He concluded: “Our goal is to offer more timely supply to our customers and make sure patients are safe and have the required supplies that they need.”
This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.