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The City Council has asked the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) to allow private hospitals to dispense vaccines for COVID-19 due to the shortage of medical health workers assigned in vaccination.
Last Monday, councilor Nesario Awat filed Resolution No. 1194-2021 requesting the NIATF to allow private hospitals to dispense COVID-19 vaccines in order to aid in securing herd immunity in the country.
“This is the only way to expedite the vaccination in the country. Sa ibang bansa ay available ang vaccines sa mga drugstore, pupunta ka lang doon ay puwede ka na magpabakuna,” Awat said.
Previously, Mayor Lucilo Bayron held an online meeting with members of the Palawan Medical Society (PMS) were around 30 doctors pledged their services to the city’s ongoing vaccination program. They will serve as the primary monitors for vaccinated individuals during their 30-minute observation period.
City health officer Dr. Ric Panganiban said the services of the doctors may expedite the current inoculation rate in the city, which is falling behind its target of 500 jabs per day, reaching only up to 300 individuals a day.
“Because hindi naman kailangan na doctor ang nag-a-administer ng bakuna, which is may tao naman kami para doon, sila ‘yong mag-oobserve sa mga nabakunahan na. For the meantime deployed muna sila sa [City] Coliseum kasi iyon pa lang ang vaccination site natin,” he said. (with reports from Patricia Laririt)