The Department of Health (DOH) said 20 million people in the Philippines have already received their first booster shot of Covid-19 vaccines.
The figure was as of Oct. 6 and represents 25.62 percent of eligible individuals for the first booster dose, the DOH said in a statement on Saturday, Oct. 8.
On July 26, the DOH launched the PinasLakas vaccination campaign with a goal of vaccinating 50 percent of the eligible population with the first booster shot of Covid-19 vaccines by Oct. 8 or the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.
However, on Sept. 22, the DOH adjusted its target for this vaccination drive to 30 percent due to slow uptake on booster shots.
In a press briefing on Oct. 4, DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said they need to administer first booster shots to at least 3.6 million people in order to reach their 30 percent target by Oct. 8.
Meanwhile, as of Oct. 6, a total of 73.3 million Filipinos are now fully-vaccinated against Covid-19 or those who already received their two-dose primary vaccination series. This figure is equivalent to 93.81 percent of those who are eligible to get the first two doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
‘Significant strides’
In a related development, the DOH said it has attained “significant strides” during the first 100 days of the present administration.
“The Department of Health (DOH) achieved significant strides in further strengthening the country’s healthcare system and addressing the country’s healthcare needs amid the Covid-19 pandemic, in accordance with President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s directives for his first 100 days in office,” the agency said.
The DOH said it “sustained its testing capacity, and strengthened the country’s detection, control, and isolation system to prevent the spread of the virus.”
The average Covid-19 testing per day was at 17,788. There were 350 DOH-licensed Covid-19 testing laboratories as of Sept. 30, the DOH said.
“The department also strengthened the country’s Covid-19 detection, control and isolation, and tapped the support of the local government units (LGUs) to ensure strict implementation of Covid-19 protocols,” the DOH said.
“These initiatives significantly contributed to the Office of the President’s decision to allow the voluntary wearing of facemasks in outdoor settings last Sept. 12, 2022,” it added.
“The DOH has also supported the government’s decision to open face-to-face classes and other strategies to recover learning losses brought by the pandemic, which severely affected the delivery of education to Filipino students,” it furthered.
Benefits for health workers
The government has disbursed over P26 billion for the grant of Covid-19 benefits and compensation for health workers as of Sept. 30, the DOH said.
Of the figure, over P18 billion was disbursed for the grant of Special Risk Allowance (SRA), Meals, Accommodation, and Transportation (MAT) benefits; Active Hazard Duty Pay (AHDP), and Life Insurance Enrolment under the Bayanihan Laws for healthcare workers, the DOH said.
About P6.64 billion was disbursed for the provision of Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) formerly known as One Covid-19 Allowance, and P1.56 billion for the payment of Covid-19 Sickness and Death Compensation, the DOH added.
Health facilities
Six specialty facilities were set up in some public hospitals outside Metro Manila, the DOH said.
These are Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), and Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) for cancer; and Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMHMC), Batangas Medical Center (BMC), Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), and SPMC for neonatal services, the DOH said.
“ increase the total number of functional specialty centers in the country to 46,” the DOH said.
Moreover, the DOH has “prioritized the completion, upgrading, repairing, and/or equipping of 1,661 health facilities, including 1,034 barangay health stations, 323 rural health units, four polyclinics, 125 LGU hospitals, 79 DOH hospitals, 15 military hospitals, and 88 other health care facilities.”
Human resources for health
The DOH also reported that over 29,000 medical workers were deployed in different parts of the country.
“To ensure and enhance quality health services across the country, the DOH deployed 29,948 human resources for health (HRH) all over the country,” it said.
“ doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists, nutritionist-dietitians, midwives, and physical therapists to support various health programs such as the PinasLakas Campaign and Bakunahang Bayan: Special Vaccination Days in LGUs,” it added.
Affordable meds
A maximum drug retail price was also imposed on other medicines to make it more affordable for the public, the DOH said.
“As part of its aim to provide Filipinos with easy and reliable access to medicines, the DOH has imposed a Maximum Retail or Wholesale Price (MRP/MWP) on additional 35 drug molecules or 71 formulae, helping further reduce drug prices by an average of 93 percent,” the DOH said.
The DOH has also provided medical and financial assistance for patients under the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients Program.
“As of end-August 2022, it has served 975,928 patients using P12.21 billion of the P15.65 billion allotted for the program,” the DOH said.