THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is opening its camps to boost the government’s vaccination program, its chief, Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, said on Wednesday, May 19.
Eleazar said he has ordered all regional and provincial police directors to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) in identifying police camps that could be used as vaccination sites, as the National Government prepares for the inoculation of essential workers and indigent Filipinos.
He said police camps would make good vaccination sites because of their wide and open spaces where proper physical distancing will be observed.
“Bukas ng pintuan ng bawat kampo ng pulis sa adhikaing ito at kung kinakailangan, handa po ang inyong PNP na sunduin at ihatid ang ating mga kababayan na babakunahan,” he said in a statement.
“Kami po ay nasa larangan ng serbisyo publiko at makakasa ang ating mga kababayan ng aming tulong anumang lugar, anumang oras. Sino pa ng aba ang magtutulungan kung hindi tayo-tayo mismo,” Eleazar added.
Eleazar said they will also look at the possibility of using police stations as vaccination sites should President Rodrigo Duterte orders it.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the inoculation for those under the A4 category in the vaccine priority list, which includes security forces, fire personnel, and those working in customs and immigration, may take place last week of May as more vaccine doses are expected to arrive.
Eleazar said the PNP is also ready to deploy its medical reserve forces (MRF) to ramp-up the administration of the vaccines.
He said they will be given a refresher course or reorientation for the administration of the vaccines before deployment.
He said they have already deployed some of their medical forces in various areas in Quezon City to help out in administering the Covid-19 vaccines and prevent long lines and overcrowding.
“Gusto nating iwasan na maging super spreader events ang pagaantay natin na tayo’y mabakunahan. Imbes na proteksyon, eh baka virus pa ang makuha natin. Kaya minabuti po naming mag-deploy ng aming Medical Reserve Force para makatulong sa mga nangangasiwa sa ating vaccination sites,” Eleazar said.
“We will continue to coordinate and assess the situation with the Department of Health and our LGUs kung saan pa iyong mga vaccination centers na nangangailangan ng tulong,” he added.
The chief PNP said personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office’s Medical and Dental Unit will begin their reorientation on vaccination in preparation for the inoculation of the A4 priority group.
Meantime, Eleazar expressed gratitude to Duterte for directing anew the prioritization of police and military personnel, as well as their families in the government’s vaccination program.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa ating mahal na pangulo, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, dahil hindi niya kinakalimutan ang kapakanan at kaligtasan ng mga pulis at maging ng mga sundalo sa gitna ng pandemya,” he said.
“Hindi po namin magagampanan ang aming tungkulin na protektahan ang sambayanan kung kami mismo ay walang panlaban at tiyak na proteksyon mula sa virus,” he added.
So far, more than 22,000 PNP personnel have contracted the virus and 62 of them have died. (SunStar Philippines)