Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) deployment of 100 of its employee doctors and nurses has helped in the administration of over 55,000 COVID-19 vaccination shots throughout Metro Manila.
As part of the company’s ongoing efforts to help in the government’s vaccination rollout, SMC initially deployed 19 doctors and nurses last April 26 but has now activated and deployed over 100 healthcare personnel to 11 vaccination sites.
These include the Mandaluyong City Hall, Pedro P. Cruz Elementary School, Isaac Lopez Integrated School, Andres Bonifacio Integrated School, and Hulo Elementary School in Mandaluyong City; Potrero Elementary School, Malabon Elementary School, Ninoy Aquino Elementary School, and Epifanio Delos Santos Elementary School in Malabon, and Pinyahan Elementary School, and Ateneo de Manila Grade School, in Quezon City.
The 100 healthcare personnel are part of 300 medical professionals SMC is looking to hire, to support the continuous and efficient implementation of government’s vaccination program.
They will also help implement the company’s own free vaccination program for its employees nationwide, when vaccines ordered by the private sector become available.
“Right now, apart from availability of vaccines, another issue that’s hindering the faster and wider rollout of government’s vaccination program--done through our local government units--is the shortage of medical personnel to administer the vaccines,” said SMC president Ramon S. Ang.
He added that, “One of the practical ways we thought we could help address this is by hiring medical professionals ourselves, providing them with good pay, benefits, and deploying them for free to our understaffed LGUs.” “This way, our LGUs will have all the support they need. We will be deploying more doctors and nurses to other areas in the comings days and weeks,” Ang said.
Recently, in his first Zoom meeting with the newly-hired medical personnel, Ang, expressed his gratitude for their willingness to serve and be assigned to different locations.
“I am so grateful to our team of doctors and nurses for the sacrifice they are making every single day to give our countrymen protection against the coronavirus, and for helping achieve our goal of ending this pandemic. Despite the long hours and constant risk of exposure, they continue to step up when called on, and show strength throughout these tough times,” he said.
Ang said that the company is set to field medical professionals in the City of Manila next, with ten doctors and nurses initially set to be deployed. More will come later this month, he said.