DAVAO CITY – More than half of the 5,000 employees of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) here are willing to get vaccinated, health officials said Wednesday.
In a press briefing during the simulation exercise for the vaccination program, Dr. Ricardo Audan, SPMC officer-in-charge, said: "Ang nakaregister sa amo is 62 percent, mga 3,200 siguro na employees ang nakaregister for the vaccination (Those who have registered from our employees is 62 percent, that's around 3,200 employees who have registered for the vaccination)."
Dr. Pamela Ferrer, SPMC chair of the vaccination committee, said they have submitted the masterlist to the Department of Health.
"We assume that if you registered for the masterlist you are willing to be vaccinated kasi part of the registering merong consent ‘yun (part of the registering is consent). Ang final (The final) consent for the vaccination is on the day of the (vaccination). So it is a willingness na already, ‘yung 3,200 plus na employees they are willing to be vaccinated (This shows there is already willingness from the 3,200 employees to be vaccinated)," Ferrer said.
Audan added that they always inform the employees that the vaccination is not mandatory.
"We are always informing them that this is not really mandatory because right nila eh (it is their right), but we are encouraging them talaga (really) to have the vaccination," Audan said.
However, Ferrer added that those who have enlisted will still be pre-screened to ensure that they could be vaccinated on the actual day of the vaccination.
"On the day of the vaccination dun pa malalaman kung eligible ba sila for the vaccination on that day. Kasi baka may sakit sila on that day, hindi natin alam di ba? Meron tayong pre-screening na gagawin for our employees on that day kung puwede talaga silang magpa-vaccine (On the day of the vaccination, that is when we will know if they are eligible to be vaccinated. We don't know yet if they would be ill on the day of the vaccination so we will have a pre-screening before they get vaccinated)," she explained.
Ferrer added that they have no schedule but added that they already have a vaccination plan for the employees and a team to man it.
Ferrer said they have already recruited their personnel who will man the areas, including the waiting area, registration area, counselling area, screening area, vaccinators, and the post-vaccination monitoring team.
"We planned how many days to do the vaccination kasi hindi naman pwede na lahat ng workers (not all workers can be accommodated). We have to maintain the minimum standards we cannot do overcrowding," she said.
Ferrer also said that the vaccination for SPMC employees will be "pre-reg (registration) vaccination" and that they will use QR codes in the registration, screening, and vaccination area.
The SPMC has started its webinar series, titled "Mangutana Kay Doc: Ligtas ba ang Bakuna para sa COVID-19," intended to cater the questions of its employees who have not yet registered for the vaccination program.
"Para lahat ng employees, ‘yung may mga agam-agam pa, magkakaroon sila ng chance to ask our doctors (Employees who have questions about the vaccine will have a chance to ask doctors)," Ferrer said.