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Friday, March 29, 2024

NegOcc LGUs Urged To Buy Biomed Refrigerators For Vaccines

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The Provincial Health Office (PHO) in Negros Occidental encouraged local government units (LGUs) to purchase biomedical refrigerators they can use to store coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines.

Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said on Wednesday that having their own cold storage facilities will make vaccine deployment easier for the province’s 12 cities and 19 municipalities.

“They should prepare for it. It will not be a waste of money since they can still use it (to store) other vaccines and it can also be used for laboratories,” Tumimbang said in an interview.

The PHO chief added that spending for cold storage equipment is a small price to pay for the people’s welfare.

“The LGUs already know about it. We communicate with them, and we are encouraging them to buy their own biomedical refrigerators since cold storage is very critical in the distribution of vaccines,” he said.

Tumimbang said the provincial government itself will purchase cold storage boxes and rent refrigerated vehicles to transport the vaccines to the localities across the province.

The PHO will also conduct a simulation of vaccination activities with some LGUs, he said.

Governor Eugenio Lacson had earlier said he is asking for 3 million doses from the national government to reach 70 percent of the province’s total population, or some 1.5 million Negrenses needing two doses each.

The 100,000 doses secured by the provincial government from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Philippines Inc. intended for medical front-liners are expected to arrive in the third quarter of the year.

Lacson had also said that LGUs without funds for Covid-19 vaccines can rely on the national government to provide vaccines for their constituents.

The provincial government will prioritize its health workers, and the national government will take care of the vaccination for the remaining Negrenses, he added.
(Nanette Guadalquiver via Philippine News Agency (PNA), photo courtesy of PNA)

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