More Covid-19 jabs allotted for areas outside NCR in Sept.: DOH

MANILA – More coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines will be administered in areas outside the National Capital Region (NCR) this September to ensure “equitable allocation”.

In a virtual briefing on Friday, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the National Vaccines Operations Center has already allocated five million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to be administered in several regions this month.

In addition, she said over 16 million procured and donated vaccines are expected to arrive in the country within the month.

“Malaking alokasyon ang ibibigay natin sa iba’t ibang rehiyon dito sa ating bansa aside from NCR. So ito po ay magkakaroon na ng equitable allocation (A big allocation will be given to regions aside from NCR. This is to create an equitable allocation),” Vergeire said.

Helping small, municipal hospitals

With the rise of Covid-19 cases occurring in several parts of the country, she said the DOH continues to support small and municipal hospitals by delivering additional medical equipment.

“We were able to provide already for most of the hospitals, mechanical ventilators, dumating po siya ngayong linggo (they arrived this week),” Vergeire said.

She said high-flow nasal cannulas and oxygen concentrators have also been allocated and distributed since Thursday.

“Malaking bagay po ito para matulungan natin ang mga ospital (This is a big help to our hospitals),” Vergeire said.

She said the DOH has strengthened hospital networks throughout the country by creating One Hospital Command Centers (OHCC) in every region to help ensure proper navigation and referral of patients to the appropriate facilities.

Level one hospitals—or hospitals capable of providing minimum healthcare services—are also being included in the OHCC network and upgraded to ensure they can care for Covid-19 patients.

“We are trying to strengthen itong network na ito para kung hindi man makapasok sa malalaking ospital, ay ang level one facilities natin ay magkakaroon din ng kanyang capacity para makapag-alaga po nitong mga pasyente na may Covid-19. (We are trying to strengthen the network so that even if they can’t be admitted in large hospitals, there are level one facilities that are capable of taking care of patients with Covid-19),” Vergeire said.

To ensure an adequate number of hospital beds, she said the DOH has also reached out to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to help build modular hospitals in areas in need.

“Nakapagbigay na din po ng additional tents sa mga ospital natin para magkaroon ng temporary triage areas ang ating mga ospital. Dun po sa mga hindi pa nakakapasok ng ospital ay meron naman po comfortable place na pagsisilungan ng mga pasyente (We have already given additional tents to our hospitals to create temporary triage areas. This is for those who can’t enter the hospitals, patients will still have somewhere they can stay in comfortably),” Vergeire said.