Naga’s Covid-19 vaccination operation center established
By Jason B. Neola
AT least seven teams were organized by the Naga City government by virtue of an executive order to complement the manpower requirement of the newly created Naga City Covid-19 Vaccination Operation Center (NCCVOC), which was established to ensure the successful execution of the vaccination roll-out in this city.
Mayor Nelson Legacion said the issuance of Executive Order 2021-004 is in support to the national government’s campaign against the disease considering that “the Philippines is now under Phase III of the National Action Plan Against Coronavirus Disease 2019 that seeks to mitigate the health risks related to Covid-19 while gradually transitioning to full socioeconomic recovery.”
One of the key components of Phase III is a national vaccination program intended to make the majority of the Filipino people less susceptible to Covid-19.
VACCINATION MONITORING. A nurse of the Bicol Medical Center checks the vital signs of Dr. Azuero Baesa (seated) of the Naga City Health Office 30 minutes after he was given a shot of AstraZeneca vaccine. Also vaccinated are medical healthcare workers of the city government assigned at Our Lady of Lourdes Infirmary, Naga City Hospital and City Health Office. JASON B. NEOLA
Earlier, Legacion issued Executive Order 2021-01 which created the preparatory committee to help ensure the success of the national and local vaccination programs. The measure allowed the LGU to formulate the Naga City Vaccination Plan including the identification of vaccines, vaccination sites, cold storage, and public health workers, among others.
The seven teams that shall actively play their respective roles under the center are:
1. Planning, Campaign Management and Technical Team which is composed of the City Health Office personnel with Dr. Vito Borja II as team leader.
2. Cold chain and Logistics Team of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office with Ernesto Elcamel as team leader.
3. Coordination Team of the Public Safety Office with Renne Gumba as team leader.
4. Vaccine safety, Surveillance and Response Team which is composed of the Naga City Hospital personnel headed by Dr. Joseph Sanchez as team leader.
5. Communication, Advocacy, and Partnership Team of the City Events, Protocol, and Public Information Office headed by Allen Reondanga as team leader.
6. Vaccination Site Management Team of the City Engineer’s Office and the Solid Management Office with Engr. Alexander Caning and Engr. Joel Martin as team leader and co-team leader, respectively.
7. Finance Team to be headed by City Budget Officer Francisco Mendoza as team leader.
Executive Order 2021-004 also created the NCCVOC Executive Committee, whose function is to facilitate coordination among the teams, and identify and address implementation issues or bottlenecks in advance. The committee, which will be chaired by the city mayor and co-chaired by the city director of the Department of Interior and Local Government, shall have the following members:
1. A DOH representative
2. Chief of Police, PNP
3. Superintendent, DepEd-Naga
4. President, Liga ng mga Barangay
5. Chairperson, SP Committee on Health
6. City Administrator
7. All NCVOC Team Leaders and Co-Team Leader
8. City Planning and Development Coordinator
9. Information and Technology Officer
10. Representative, NCPC
296 inoculated at BMC
Some 296 medical healthcare workers of the city government were inoculated with AstraZeneca vaccines on Monday, Mar. 22.
The vaccination, which was conducted at the Bicol Medical Center and administered by the regional hospital’s health personnel, was held few days before the city government starts its mass immunization against Covid-19.
Among the priority individuals in the vaccination roll-out is the 3,600 persons with disabilities (PWDs) within the age bracket of 30 to 59 years old, the age group which has the highest number of recorded deaths due to the virus since last year.
The frontliners who were vaccinated on Monday at the BMC were doctors, nurses, midwives, ambulance drivers and other frontline employees of the City Health Office, Naga City Hospital, and Our Lady of Lourdes Infirmary.
Dr. Joey Rañola, BMC’s focal person for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (EREID), said the vaccination last Monday will serve as avenue for the city’s medical frontliners to further their knowledge in handling the city’s forthcoming immunization program.
“The immunization which the city’s frontliners have gone through could further help raise the level of their awareness they had from the series of webinars organized by the Department of Health in the province,” he said.