DAVAO ORIENTAL — As the country begins the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, the province of Davao Oriental is also gearing up for the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination for its constituents.
In the last two weeks, the Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 has conducted an Initial Readiness Assessment in all of the province’s ten municipalities and one city to ensure that all Local Government Units here are geared up for what will be one of the country’s largest-ever immunization drive.
Included in the preparations are the series of virtual training, planning, and coordination meetings with the Local Chief Executives and other stakeholders and partner agencies.
All Rural Health Units and government hospitals were also visited by the COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force to assess their readiness and preparedness in terms of logistics, manpower, and vaccination sites.
The assessment covered the following key areas: planning and coordination, vaccination sites, vaccine regulations, service delivery, training and supervision, monitoring and evaluation, vaccine logistics and manpower, vaccine safety and surveillance, and communications, and community engagement.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Operations Center Manager Mr. Jason Bendulo, who headed the assessment, disclosed that it will be the health workers, particularly from Level 1 to 3 hospitals who will first receive the vaccines from the Department of Health (DOH).
“For the different priority groups, the province has earmarked P60 million for the purchase of the vaccines,” he said.
As the vaccines are already starting to roll out in the country, vaccination is now an unprecedented endeavor that makes planning and preparation essential.
The Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 believes that active leadership and engagement from the provincial government with solid, comprehensive national coordination plans and systems in place are needed to make headway for a successful rollout.
