VSMMC prepares for vaccine rollout; to do simulation

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City. | CDN file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) is now gearing up for the rollout of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines.

VSMMC, in a statement published on February 8, 2021, announced they will be conducting simulation exercises in relation to the distribution of the vaccine and administering shots to their healthcare workers.

A supply logistics and cold chain simulation exercise is scheduled this Tuesday, February 9, while “over-all simulation” will be conducted on Thursday, February 11, portions of the statement read.

VSMMC said that a total of 2,758 of their employees were identified to be inoculated.

“COVID-19 Vaccine Orientation and Information Dissemination have been undertaken to educate all employees of the mechanisms, benefits, and adverse effects of the vaccine. Informed consent for the data processing and the actual administration of the vaccine were already obtained from every healthcare worker,” the hospital’s management said.

They also welcomed the decision of the national government to select healthcare workers in Cebu to be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccines.

“The medical center believes that one of the reasons in prioritizing the healthcare workers is to assure the public that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and that the healthcare workers can educate and enlighten their patients about its effects,” the VSMMC statement added.

The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) earlier announced that over 2,000 healthcare workers at VSMMC will be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccines here in Cebu.

This as the hospital was chosen by the national government to be the first COVID vaccination center in Central Visayas.

The Malacañang also said that an initial rollout of the vaccines is slated this February 15./ dcb