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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Vaccine-for-nurses' trade a sign of desperation?

'Vaccine-for-nurses' trade a sign of desperation?

Published Feb 24, 2021 04:49 pm

  ‘’Has it comes to this?’’

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon asked this question as he hit the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for its offer to the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany of deployment of more Filipino nurses in the two European nations with the highest number of cases and deaths related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in exchange for COVID-19 vaccines.

(JANSEN ROMERO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

“It’s a sign of desperation. Ganito na ba tayo kadesperado (is our situation desperate)? Drilon stated, adding that policy is borne out of the growing exasperation over the lack of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

Drilon said DOLE’s “palit bakuna (vaccine  exchange)” initiative “is a wrong policy and sets a bad precedent.’’

“Our health care workers are not commodities they can trade off,” he added.

A DOLE official, Alice Visperas, revealed that Secretary Silvestre Bello III has asked the UK and Germany to provide the Philippines with at least 600,000 vaccines in exchange for the deployment of more Filipino nurses and other health care workers.

“For the government to go this far as trading off its Filipino health care workers in exchange for vaccines means something is not right in the government's coronavirus vaccination strategy,” Drilon said.

The former labor secretary advised DOLE to abandon the policy.

“Hindi po kasama sa mandato ng DOLE ang ‘palit bakuna’ (It is not in DOLE’s mandate to make a vaccine-nurse exchange).  Our focus should be on protecting the rights and welfare of our overseas Filipino workers especially during these trying times,” Drilon said.

Drilon said it only highlights the need for the government to fast-track the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Senate passed on Tuesday a measure that will help expedite the purchase and administration of the much-needed vaccines in the country as the Philippines lags behind in coronavirus vaccination among its Southeast Asian neighbors.

With the passage of the measure, Drilon said there will be no more excuses for delays in COVID-19 vaccination plan.        

“There should be no more excuses. But I am holding my breath for the next excuse and finger pointing,” he added.

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