MORE than 3,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines are expected to arrive in Bacolod City Friday, March 5, for the medical frontliners from Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) and Riverside Medical Center.
Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical data and analysis of Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Task Force, stressed this Thursday, March 4, after they held a meeting with the Department of Health (DOH)-Western Visayas and discussed the arrival of Sinovac vaccines intended for the medical frontliners assigned in Level-3 Covid-19 facilities in Western Visayas.
Sorongon said that in Bacolod City, there are two Level-3 Covid-19 facilities, including the CLMMRH and Riverside Medical Center.
Aside from two hospitals in Bacolod, he said four other Level-3 Covid-19 facilities in Iloilo City will also get the Sinovac vaccines.
He added these vaccines were allotted by the National Government to prioritize first the medical frontliners assigned in Level-3 Covid-19 facilities.
Sorongon said the CLMMRH will receive about 1,600 doses of vaccines and more than 1,400 doses for Riverside Medical Center, then it will be multiplied into two.
Sorongon noted that each medical frontliner will get two doses of vaccines. They are in the priority list of the Covid-19 vaccine recipients.
Based on the list submitted by EOC to the Department of Health (DOH)-Western Visayas, it showed that about 18,000 medical workers assigned in CLMMRH and Riverside Medical Center need to be vaccinated.
"This is only the first batch of vaccines intended for our healthcare workers and frontliners," Sorongon said.
If all Sinovac vaccines will not be used, he said the remaining vaccines will be used to the medical frontliners from Level-1 and 2 hospitals in Bacolod City.
EOC on Thursday held training with five other hospital personnel at the Bacolod Government Center for Covid-19 vaccine.
On March 7, the EOC will also hold a ceremonial vaccination at the Bacolod Government Center and it will be participated by some personalities in Bacolod City including the city officials.
"It's voluntary and it's never mandatory, but we are hoping and praying that all our healthcare workers will avail this vaccine," Sorongon said.
He said the City Government also intensified its information and education campaign in various barangays.
"Let's grab this opportunity to protect our fellow Bacolodnons. Let's avail the Covid-19 vaccine. We should be afraid of Covid-19 and not on the vaccine," he added.