Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes is not keen on having a Mobile Vaccination Clinic (MVC) in the city at the moment.
Cortes said that during their initial talk with the city’s doctors, they have agreed not to launch a mobile vaccination clinic yet. Instead, the city, for now, will just maximize the vaccination centers.
The city has identified three vaccination centers namely, the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex, the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu-Mandaue (UCLM) campus’ new building, and the Gullas Hospital. The first two are currently used by the city.
Cortes said as of the moment they have sufficient centers for the vaccinees.
Subangdaku Barangay Captain Ernie Manatad, chairman of the city’s COVID-19 board, said there were six vaccination teams at the city’s sports complex and four vaccination teams at UCLM campus’ new building. Each team can accommodate at least 100 vaccinees.
The Mayor said it is necessary to consider the handling and storing of vaccines adding that the identified centers were strategically nearer to the hospital where the vaccines were stored.
“Ang mobile manggud we have to consider the handling of vaccines, importante kaayo ang storage. Dili ni tiaw ang kantidad if we talk about vaccines we cannot afford nga ato lang ning usikan,…. maong dili kaayo mi keen,” said Cortes.
Cortes added that using more vaccination centers may also spread their personnel too thinly.
The Mayor said the city still needs additional health workers for the city’s mass vaccination program.
Cortes said as of the moment there were no private companies that tapped them to launch an MVC.
Cortes said they are planning to operate in two shifts. The first shift will begin from 6 a.m to 2 p.m and the second from 2 p.m to 10 p.m.
“Naay uban dili makaya og adlawan kay mainitan nya naa poy uban naay trabaho (dili makaattend sa vaccination ig buntag),” said Cortes.
Manatad said currently the city’s vaccination hours start from 8 a.m to 4 p.m /rcg