COVID-19 vaccination roll out among Southern Philippines Medical Center health care workers

@#As the biggest COVID-19 facility in Mindanao, Davao City’s Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) rolled out its first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to some of its frontline health care workers (HCW) last March 5, 2021. The COVID-19 vaccination program in the Philippines is an extensive and comprehensive immunization campaign to help curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and protect the people against severe COVID-19. To expedite the vaccine procurement and administration process, the Republic Act 11525 or the “COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021” was enacted into law on February 26, 2021.1 The Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF), in partnership with local governments, have been tasked to implement, facilitate, and monitor the COVID-19 vaccination program.2

Donations to Southern Philippines Medical Center during the COVID-19 quarantine

@#The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of people in almost all countries and territories around the globe.1 Most regions have been forced into varying levels of lockdown depending on the impact of the disease in the affected region. Many hospitals were also overwhelmed with the volume of patients--both those with COVID-19 and those with other conditions--despite optimizing and modifying service delivery platforms in response to the pandemic. Health facilities struggled to cope with the pandemic, rendering them unprepared for the sudden strain on the delivery of health services and hospital operations, and for the shortage of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE).2 3 4 5 6 The community quarantine which started in Davao City on March 15, 20207 also limited the delivery flow of these supplies to the frontline healthcare workers. Patients from Davao City and other nearby cities suspected of having COVID-19 began to be referred to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

Bus services for Southern Philippines Medical Center’s frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 quarantine

@#The COVID-19 pandemic has been having a negative impact on the availability of our public transportation. As the national government imposed enhanced community quarantines (March 16, 2020 in Luzon and April 24, 2020 in Visayas and Mindanao) and subsequent modifications of quarantine measures, the operation of public transportations had to be halted, and then modified to partial availability. Because of these drastic changes, it has been difficult for health care workers to commute to and from their respective workplaces.

The SPMC report card survey findings in 2019: Policy notes

@#Republic Act 9485, best known as the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA), was enacted in 2007 to improve government service delivery by promoting integrity and accountability and by properly managing public property and affairs. The ARTA aims to expedite transactions in government offices by simplifying procedures and by reducing red tape.1 In 2008, a program launched by the Civil Service Commision (CSC) as an initiative to implement the ARTA initiated the posting of a citizen’s charter (CC) in every government office that provides particular services to the public.2 A CC is a document that details, in a simplified manner, all relevant information regarding a government service and the steps needed to be undertaken to avail of that service.