Mayor Beng Climaco last Friday (Oct. 22) afternoon personally brought to the attention of the National Inter-Agency Task Force on managing Emerging Infectious Disease (NIATF-EID), the city’s need for additional health workers, critical care supplies like and antiviral drugs and continuous vaccine supply among others amidst the surge in COVID-19 cases in the city.
Climaco was one of the selected local chief executives invited to the virtual meeting organized by the NIATF and the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) Friday afternoon to discuss the vaccination program implementation. The meeting was jointly presided by NIATF Chief Implementer Sec. Carlito Galvez and Health Secretary Francisco Duque.
The mayor said continuous and steady supply of vaccines will enable the city and other parts of the region to accelerate vaccination rollout and ensure added protection for the people against COVID-19.
“I have so much faith in our vaccination teams and they can accomplish and administer 5,000 to 7,000 doses daily.”
She likewise asked the national government to harmonize policies specifically on quarantine and isolation and to provide the local government units with the task list or template to guide the latter and ensure compliance on the mandates.
The mayor said there is a need for the DOH and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to hire and deploy additional contact tracers to Zamboanga City and to extend their contracts for one year.
The NIATF should also facilitate and ensure continued supply of critical care supplies like oxygen and antiviral drugs as well as to ensure continuous vaccine supply to boost vaccination efforts in the city and the region. Alongside the steady vaccine supply will be the manpower and logistics for vaccination such as additional syringes, alcohol, Band-Aids and cotton balls among others.
The mayor also cited the need for mass hiring programs and deployment of medical professionals like doctors, nurses and attendants.
Mayor Climaco presented the current COVID situation of the city which is experiencing the third wave of surge with over 2,400 cases as of Oct. 21.
She also discussed other issues to include the need for the DILG to reinforce the Barangay Health Emergency Teams to ensure strict enforcement of the protocols at the barangay level; to facilitate the immediate completion of the construction of the Talisayan BJMP headquarters and Jail facility on or before December 31, 2021 and the lowering of gasoline prices in the city among others.
Meanwhile, the chief executive thanked Sec. Carlito Galvez and his deputy chief implementer Sec. Vince Hizon, DILG Sec. Ano and DOH Sec. Duque for supporting the city in its needs and for sending over vaccines and other critical care equipment like PPEs and antigen kits. (Sheila Covarrubias)
(Source: City Government of Zamboanga Facebook page)