G42 Healthcare signed an agreement with Rafed, the group purchasing organization established by ADQ, to receive state-of-the-art logistics services that include the provision of storage facilities for COVID-19 vaccines.
As part of the agreement between the two Abu Dhabi entities, Rafed will oversee the logistics including the management, transportation, and storage of the vaccine doses in the new designated facilities, in line with the requirements and standards of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health.
Rafed distribution centre is a dedicated pharmaceutical facility that can cater to all temperature band requirements, from +20 Cº storage for PPE and medical equipment, to -90 Cº deep freezer capabilities to predominantly cater for vaccine storage and handling.
Both Rafed and G42 Healthcare are members of the Hope Consortium launched recently. Spearheaded by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, the consortium represents a public-private partnership and offers a complete supply chain solution to address vaccine transport, demand planning, sourcing, training, and digital technology infrastructure, and facilitate vaccine availability across the world.
Commenting on the agreement, Rashed Saif Al Qubaisi, Chief Executive Officer of Rafed, said: “As part of the efforts exerted to support the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines, this agreement is amongst the many big steps towards our Consortium partnership efforts in developing the operational and logistical synergies between our companies to secure the management, transportation, and storage of the COVID-19 vaccines ensuring timely deliveries and world-class distribution systems in the near-future. We’re glad to be partnering with G42 Healthcare on this important mission serving humanity during this COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.”
Furthermore, Ashish Koshy, G42 Healthcare CEO commented: “This partnership further cements G42 Healthcare’s role as a key global player leading the charge against a virus that has crippled the world. The agreement allows for all the cold chain warehousing and logistical requirements to be met while ensuring that vaccines are handled with utmost precision and in compliance with international safety standards. We see this as the first step in what will prove to be a long-term partnership with all other members of the Hope Consortium, as we stand connected in our shared vision of a COVID-19 free world.”
Rafed has also recently announced that the company signed a collaboration agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports to jointly launch the largest healthcare and medical supplies cold store distribution centre in the UAE. Under the strategic collaboration agreement, Abu Dhabi Ports will deliver a state-of-the-art warehouse and inventory management solution for upstream, midstream and downstream operations as Rafed’s fourth-party logistics service provider. The new distribution centre will be the largest, most technologically advanced centre in the UAE.
