‘Bayanihan, Bakunahan’: national gov’t aims 15M on 3-day nat’l vaccination drive
Early this week, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 announced the three-day national Covid-19 vaccination program dubbed “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” Day from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.
According to him, the program aims to vaccinate at least 15 million Filipinos within that three-day period.
In the prerecorded of President Rodrigo Duterte, Galvez bared that the national Covid-19 vaccination initiative will involve a “whole-of-society and whole-of-government” approach.
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“Our basic framework is to push the spirit of ‘Bayanihan’. It will involve all society and all government agencies,” said Galvez.
Galvez also noted that the event will be conducted in all 17 regions across the country, simultaneously.
“As we ramp up the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination nationwide, the national government shall facilitate the vaccination activities and expedite vaccination of individuals with zero-dose by devoting three days solely for vaccination activities nationwide,” he added.
The initiative will also assist Local government units (LGUs) with low vaccination output to expedite their respective vaccination program.
“So our objective here is to mobilize all stakeholders, people and logistics to facilitate the vaccination with Covid-19 vaccines of at least 15 million individuals in three days,” Galvez said, citing that some areas with slow vaccination drives were confronting some challenges and limitations on vaccine logistical and handling requirement.
THREE-PHASE PREPARATION
Galvez said the preparation for the nationwide vaccination event will be done in three phases involving vaccination workshops, meetings, and consultations.
“We have the preparation phase will be done on November 1 to 28, and then also with the execution phase from November 21 to 30 and December 1; and then also sustainment operations from December 2 to 31. Meaning, we will not end up with National Vaccination Day. We will sustain the effort up to December 31,” he said.
“We will make sure that all the different activities, together with the different responsibilities of the different organizations and agencies will be lined up in the synchronization matrix,” he added.
VAX DAYS TO REGULAR HOLIDAYS
Galvez said the NTF has recommended to the Department of Health (DOH) to issue a circular order declaring the three-day vaccination drives as regular holidays.
The government is eyeing to convert various schools, universities’ covered courts, arenas, gymnasiums, and other private establishments–as vaccination sites for the event.
“We have to expand and activate the vaccination site of more or less 4,000 to 5,000 vaccination centers,” Galvez said.
Galvez also added that the Philippine Medical Association and its different integrated associations such as Philippine Nurses, Philippine College of Physicians, Philippine Pediatric Society, and Philippine Dental Association, including healthcare workers from private hospitals, will also augment as vaccinators during the event.
He added the government will also activate the newly structured health emergency command system along with the establishment of the Local Vaccine Operations Centers to push for more integrated coordination on the Covid-19 vaccination program.
Source: Philippine News Agency
