SASANAYIN ang iba pang medical professionals bilang vaccinators sakaling maisabatas ang panukalang inihain ni Senador Richard Gordon para sa implementasyon ng pambansang programa sa immunization sa panahon ng epidemya, pandemya at national health emergencies tulad ng COVID-19 pandemic.

Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Gordon na may limitadong bilang lamang tayo ng doktor, nars at midwife na puwedeng tumulong sa pagbabakuna kaya inihain ang naturang panukala.

“We filed a bill to expand the pool of vaccinators of the DOH by training other professionals such as dentists, veterinarians, medical technologists and even those without medical background to be vaccinators,” ayon kay Gordon.

Nakatakda sa Section 1 ng Senate Bill No. 1987 na nagsasabing “that non-medical practitioners that will be part of the training will be allowed provided that they will be given the appropriate training, certification and authority by the Department of Health (DOH), and that they will perform their duties under the supervision of a duly registered physician and for a limited period only contingent upon the existence of the national health emergency for which it is called.”

Ayon sa DOH, aabot lamang sa 617,239 ang bilang ng health care workers, mula sa pribado at pampublikong health institutions na makatutulong upang magbakuna ng COVID-19 vaccines.

“If we expand the manpower for the vaccination program, the government’s target of inoculating 50 to 70 million Filipinos to be able to achieve herd immunity or population immunity can be attained. Our proposed bill also aims to improve our Expanded Program on Immunization and achieve the government’s target of vaccinating 95% of the country’s total child population,”  ayon kay Gordon.

“SB 1987 gives the Secretary of Health the authority to order for the training and certification of additional vaccinators in times of epidemic, pandemic and national health emergencies or when the government is in danger of not meeting its target in its yearly immunization due to lack of vaccinators,” giit pa ni Gordon. (ESTONG REYES)