THE Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) and Riverside Medical Center already started the Covid-19 vaccination among its employees from March 7 to 11, 2021.
Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical data and analysis of the Emergency Operations (EOC) Task Force, said the two hospitals were identified as Level-3 Covid-19 facilities and the medical frontliners are the priority of the Covid-19 vaccine.
He said based on the directive from the Department of Health (DOH), the hospitals that were identified as Level-3 Covid-19 facilities should start the Covid-19 vaccination on March 7 and must end on March 11.
He added the Covid-19 vaccination was held at their respective hospitals.
On Friday, a total of 6,300 doses of Sinovac vaccines intended for medical frontliners from CLMMRH and Riverside Medical Center arrived in Bacolod City.
The ceremonial vaccination was also held at the Bacolod Government Center lobby, where five medical doctors and a nurse received their first dose of Sinovac vaccine.
The medical doctors, who were the first to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in Western Visayas, include Dr. Miguel Sarabia, ophthalmologist and president of Negros Occidental Medical Society; Dr. Hector Gayares, chief executive officer of Adventist International Healthcare System Philippines and deputy medical of EOC; Dr. Dolores Rommela Tiples-Ruiz, infectious disease specialist and president of Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Disease-Negros Occidental Chapter; Dr. Radela Yvonne Ramos-Cortes, Internal Medicine, Allergy and Immunology; and Dr. Carlos Javier Primicias Jr., pediatrician.
Valerie Villarosa-Sarabia, a nurse and wife of Dr. Sarabia, also got vaccinated.
Sorongon said these vaccines are only intended for the medical frontliners working in Level-3 Covid-19 facilities, but once the two hospitals will not use all their allocated vaccine, then they will be used to the Level 1-2 hospitals in Bacolod, including medical workers at City Health Office.
These vaccines were allotted by the National Government to prioritize first the medical frontliners assigned at Level-3 Covid-19 facilities. It is part of the 600,000 initial doses donated by China to the Philippine government.
The CLMMRH will receive about 1,600 doses of vaccines good for 800 workers and the Riverside Medical Center will also get 800 doses of vaccines good for 300 healthcare workers.
The Covid-19 vaccine recipients will be given two doses of vaccine. The second dose will be given after a month.