*Dr. Balbag says Gov. MMM wanted all sectors to be inoculated
By Stewart C. Ocampo
PGIN-CMO
In the light of the first COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Ilocos Norte, more than 1,000 health frontliners from different government and private hospitals have been inoculated since the province received the first batch of Sinovac doses last March 5.
Of the total vaccinees, 596 were from the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital & Medical Center (MMMH&MC), 272 from Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital (GRBASMH), 62 from the Laoag City General Hospital (LCGH), and 110 from selected private hospitals.
“Tuloy-tuloy yung vaccination natin mula noong March 6 to 8 sa mga identified public hospitals. Yung pangalawang batch ng Sinovac vaccines ay natanggap natin recently. 508 doses lahat. Ito ay para naman sa mga district hospitals at ibang private hospitals dito sa probinsiya,” Dr. Rogelio Balbag, Ilocos Norte Hospital and Management Council executive officer, said.
The vaccination for medical health workers from various district hospitals had rolled out earlier. Meanwhile, senior citizen health workers will also be receiving Sinovac vaccine shots.
Aside from the Sinovac, Ilocos Norte also received the first 492 doses of AztraZeneca vaccines, a part of the donated vaccines to the country. It will be used first for the vaccinees at GRBASMH and LCGH.
“Ang mga bakunang ito ay nagmula pa lamang sa mga donasyon ng China at World Health Organization, sa pamamagitan ng National Government. Hindi pa ito ‘yong mga bakunang binili ng Provincial Government. Patuloy ang pakikipag-negotiate ni Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc sa mga national officials dahil gusto niya, kung maaari ay mabakunahan na rin agad ang lahat, lalo na yung mga nasa sektor ng transportasyon, turismo, media, at iba pa,” Dr. Balbag explained in mixed Tagalog and English.
Vaccines purchased by the Provincial Government are expected to arrive in the province in the third quarter of this year. – (Stewart C. Ocampo, PGIN-CMO)
