DAVAO CITY HOLDS 2ND SIMULATION FOR TRANSPORT OF ANTI-COVID VACCINE
Aimed at perfecting the transport and handling of the anti-Covid vaccines, the Davao City government and the Department of Health conducted a second simulation exercise on Friday, February 12, in preparation for the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines in the city anytime soon.
The simulation exercise started from the transport of the vaccines from the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and Los Amigos Covid-19 Health Facility to the vaccination site in Mabini Elementary School, Bangkal.
“The transport of the vaccine from SPMC to Mabini Elementary School took 21 minutes while from Los Amigos to the same school took 16 minutes,” said Angel Sumagaysay, head of the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSC) and the overall in-charge of the transport of the anti-covid vaccine from the storage facility.
Sumagaysay said that this can still be improved, and will target a shorter time of transport in time for the actual vaccination.
The duration of the transport of the vaccines is crucial since the vaccine must be kept under a negative 70 centigrade.
Meanwhile, the City Health Office (CHO) has set-up the steps a patient will undergo during the vaccination at the Mabini Elementary School.
“There will be six (6) stations, the waiting area for the orientation of people to be vaccinated, the registration room where the names will be recorded and verified, the counseling room, the screening room for the physical exam and assessment, the vaccination room, and the post-vaccination room where the patients will be observed in case of adverse effects,” said Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, who heads the Vaccination Cluster of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force.
Covid-19 TF Focal Person Dr. Ashley Lopez said that the vaccination simulation at Mabini Elementary School will be the model set-up to be implemented in other vaccination hubs. So far, seven (7) sites have been eyed by the city government to serve as vaccination hubs.
“We have prepared around seven (7) major vaccination hubs made up of universities and schools. We have the three branches of the University of Mindanao. We have also coordinated with USEP (University of Southeastern Philippines) and the Ateneo de Davao Matina branch,” he said.
Lopez added that the city is also eyeing the public schools under the Department of Education (DepEd) to be utilized as vaccination hubs.
Overall, the TF Focal person said that Davao City’s process flow for the Covid-19 vaccination activity was ‘good and acceptable’, except for some minor details that need improvements like the accessibility of the toilets for the PWD and senior citizens, which the City Government will come up a solution with.
Department of Health XI Regional Director Dr. Annabelle Yumang commended the city government of Davao for its top-notch preparation for the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines.
“Generally, kung ingon ani atong set-up makita nako nga preparado na gyud. Kung sa ato pa, bakuna na lang gyud ang kulang (Generally, I can see that we are prepared in this setup. It is only the vaccine that is missing),” Yumang said.
According to Dr. Villafuerte, to achieve herd immunity, around 1.2 million individuals of the 1.8 million population of Davao City are targeted to be immunized. Around 500,000 individuals belong to the priority groups comprising front liners, senior citizens, and uniformed personnel, who will be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccines.
She urged Dabawenyos not to be afraid to get vaccinated.
“There is no other option except vaccination. We really let them understand that vaccination is important to stop the pandemic. Because if we don’t, then we will go on like this. The only way to protect our family and our children’s children is through vaccination,” she said. CIO
Read More: City Government of Davao
