Observers from the Department of Health-Western Visayas (DOH-6) commended Bacolod City’s vaccination simulation exercises held at the Barangay Villamonte gymnasium over the weekend.
A press statement from the Bacolod Public Information Office said that the vaccination process took 9 to 11 minutes, which is well within the 17-minute cut-off per DOH standards, according to the observers.
One of the first in the Philippines, Bacolod’s vaccination simulation was aimed at testing the preparedness of the city government in conducting the actual mass vaccination, the statement said.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that “Our vaccines will come possibly in July but we would like to keep the ball rolling. What we want for Bacolod is that when the vaccines come, everything is smooth and in order. Practice makes perfect, so let’s take this seriously.”
Bacolod is among the first cities to negotiate its own Covid-19 vaccines. It has already reserved 650,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to kick off its vaccination program, making it among the top five cities in the country with the biggest vaccine orders together with Davao City, Quezon City, Makati City, and the City of Manila.
“Since the start of the pandemic, everyone has been waiting for this vaccine. Finally, we have the vaccine. Our mayor has made sure of 650,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines and there are still vaccines coming from the national government. It is good for 325,000 Bacolodnons,” Emergency Operations Center executive director and City Administrator Em Ang said.
Aside from AstraZeneca, Leonardia is also talking to other pharmaceutical companies that are developing Covid-19 vaccines.
The simulation included the pickup and transport of vaccines and other supplies from the central cold storage facility to the designated vaccination areas, the actual inoculation, the 30- to 45-minute post-vaccination monitoring, the disinfection of the venues, and the disposal of infectious wastes.
It was spearheaded by the City Health Office (CHO) in coordination with the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health and Nutrition Division chief, who supervised the CHO personnel. They were assisted by the EPI Medical and Nurse Coordinators, HEMS, HEPO, BHWs, and BHERTs.
“Here in Bacolod, we have proven that there is private and public partnership,” said Leonardia, who heads the Covid-19 Vaccination (CoVac) Council.
Expressing his gratitude to the healthcare workers, the mayor added: “I am thankful to everyone who participated in our activity today, especially those who are in personal protective equipment. For me, this is a very strong indication of your commitment.”
Councilor Renecito Novero, chair of the Vaccination Centers Action Team, said: “We are thankful to everyone who made this possible. We now have 26 available centers for our vaccination. Let’s continue to inspire our people to volunteer for our vaccination.”
“To those who are having doubts of getting the vaccines because of fear, remember that Covid-19 is more dangerous than the vaccine,” Novero also said.
Meanwhile, Barangay Villamonte punong barangay Rommel Flores said: “We are very grateful and blessed because we were given the chance to become a model for this simulation activity in preparation for July, granting that it is when our vaccines will arrive for Covid-19.”
He added: “We do believe that this a good start and a positive indicator. Through team effort, we could achieve good results to make our community safe and livable.”
Joining Leonardia in overseeing the dry run were Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and other Emergency Operations Center (EOC) officials including Ang – executive director; Novero – chair of the Vaccination Centers Action Team; OIC-City Health Officer Dr. Edwin Miraflor; Dr. Chris Sorongon and Dr. Anna Ma. Laarni Pornan – deputies for medical; and Dr. Rosalie Deocampo – head of cluster on contact tracing.
Also joining are City Health Office doctors Dr. Claire Capiral, Dr. Nica Locsin, Dr. Shirley Rodrigazo, Dr. Fretzie Roullo, Dr. Ma. Luz Maapni, Executive Assistant Butch Soliguen, and the Barangay Villamonte barangay council. (Dolly Yasa via tdg, photo by BCPIO)