ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) is finalizing a master list of Western Visayas’ frontline healthcare workers who will be prioritized in the government’s immunization program against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Dr. Jane Juanico, head of DOH Region 6’s Infectious Disease Section, said they are populating an electronic immunization registry with the names of health workers in both private and public facilities.
“We expect to finish it by Feb. 15,” she said.
This preparation, according to Juanico, would make things a lot easier and the process a bit faster by the time the first tranche of anti-coronavirus shots arrive.
“Sa tanan nga private or public health facilities naton, they are required to submit sang ila listahan sang ila mga healthcare workers regardless kon may initial consent ukon wala,” said Juanico.
Citing their Feb. 6 data, Juanico said at least 50 out of the total 1,964 healthcare workers in both private and public facilities in the region have so far been entered in the immunization registry.
She encouraged hospitals and other medical institutions to register their health workers on time.
“Ang aton healthcare workers nga later lang ma-decide magpa-vaccine, definitely basi indi sila mapadal-an sang nagakaigu nga vaccination,” Juanico explained.
She further said that COVID-19 vaccines are “very sensitive kay once mag-abot sa isa ka lugar, immediately mahatag dayun ang bakuna.”
Early this month, some local government units in Western Visayas secured doses of AZD1222 Vaccine through tripartite agreements with British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and the national government.
The vaccines are expected to arrive in the second quarter of 2021.
Among those included in the priority list are doctors, nurses and hospital workers, members of the indigent population, and uniformed personnel.
Juanico said DOH expects local government units to complete the listing of priority beneficiaries while also identifying their proposed vaccination venues and developing their plans on how to conduct the vaccination of their constituents.
“I believe ara sa respective nga mga local governments ang aton pag-encode sang master list,” Juanico said./PN
