WHERE ARE THE VACCINES?: Mayor demands explanation over ‘unaccounted’ COVID-19 doses

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Where are the 17,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines?

Mayor Jerry Treñas posed this question on Tuesday as he demanded an explanation of the unaccounted vaccine jabs that were sent to Iloilo City.

In a letter to Dr. Emilia Monicimpo, Department of Health-Western Visayas regional director, Treñas noted that that Iloilo City, as well as the rest of Western Visayas, is experiencing a surge in cases of COVID-19 infections.

“The City Government, the hospitals, and all other sectors here have been one in appealing to the national government to give more vaccine allocations, send us additional medical personnel and medicines,” he said.

Foremost of the city government’s concern is the vaccination of the target population of 450,000 to give better protection against the virus, Treñas added.

Since March 2021, he said that Iloilo City received a total of 66,544 doses of vaccines – 49,664 doses of CoronaVac from Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech and 16,880 of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Treñas said the vaccines they received were all accounted for by the City Health Office.

“However, in the June 20, 2021 report of DOH, it stated that Iloilo City has been sent 84,224 (62,804 Sinovac and 21,420 AstraZeneca),” he said.

Given the discrepancy, Treñas asked Monicimpo, “for an explanation where did the 17,680 doses supposedly for Iloilo City go.”

The mayor stressed that it is but proper that they should demand for what was afforded to the city.

“We cannot shortchange the Ilonggos who have been waiting to be vaccinated. Iloilo City is more ready to vaccinate but we have no additional vaccines if we want to protect our people,” he said.

Copies of the letter were furnished to Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.

On the same day, Treñas also wrote Monicimpo of the result of the conference call he had with Go, Duque, and Galvez.

He said he was told to receive 11,700 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and 20,000 doses of Sinovac on June 22 and another 50,000 doses of Sinovac next week.

Treñas’ letter added, “we trust the Iloilo City will receive the number of doses as stated. We are persistent to vaccinate our people here, including those who are working Iloilo City.”

Iloilo City is in a rush to vaccinate a good number of its population, including those who are non-residents but working in the metropolis, following the surge in COVID-19 cases since late of May 2021.

Over the weekend, it was reported that intensive care units in Iloilo City hospitals have reached full capacity as COVID-19 infections continue to increase despite that the city has reverted to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status since May 23 until June 30.

Data published by the OCTA Research group on June 20 showed that intensive care utilization rates (ICUR) in Iloilo City were at 100% from June 13 to 19.

This means that all ICU beds dedicated to severe cases in Iloilo City were already full.

OCTA classified Iloilo City at critical risk level after its hospital bed utilization rate (HBUR) was 90%, while the area ranks third in the most number of daily COVID-19 cases with an average daily attack rate of 25.83 per 100,000 individuals.

Such data is an indication that the city’s health system is overwhelmed.

Records from DOH-6 indicated that on June 1, Iloilo City recorded 46 cases but from June 2 until June 13, the cases went up by triple digits with June 11 having the most number of cases at 175.

On June 14, the number went down to 74 cases only to shoot up to 134 cases the following day.

From June 16 until June 21, the cases went down to two-digit figures with 57 as the lowest on June 21.

 

‘MISSING JABS’ SENT TO HOSPITALS

In an interview with Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo, Dr. Marie Jocelyn Te, designated spokesperson of DOH-6, said 17,680 doses that Treñas was looking for were sent directly to hospitals in Iloilo City for administration to medical frontliners.

“I asked the in-charge of the vaccines [kun] ano natabu kay amo na gina-claim ni Mayor [Jerry] Treñas nga kulang…indi nagasantu sa amon report. This person in-charge naghambal siya nga ‘ang 17,680 as claim ni Mayor, nagkadto ni sa mga hospitals within the city.’ Ang first priority naton nga group A is frontliners sa mga hospitals kay because they are located in the city then that was na-allocate sa city that’s why na-count siya as Iloilo City.”

Dr. Te said the vaccines in question were directly sent to hospitals to hasten the vaccination rollout among medical frontliners. The process is also meant to avoid overwhelming the cold storage facilities of hospitals.

“Wala ‘ya ginhatag direkta to sa [Iloilo] city [government] kag ginhatag sa mga hospitals kundi ang natabu from the DOH may allocation na ang mga hospitals kay may mga masterlist sila nga  under sa city, so ginhatag na lang direkta para indi na mabudlayan [nga] magkadto pa sa city tapos ang city pa ma-distribute pa sa hospital. Medyo doble karon ang ila ubra at the same time basi ma-overwhelm na ang cold room nila,” Dr. Te added.

 

APPEAL FOR HELP

Over the weekend, the Iloilo Medical Society appealed to the national government to provide more COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.

“We have been hit hard with an increase not only in terms of number of cases but in terms of morbidity and mortality as well,” the group said in a Letter of Appeal addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte and IATF chiefs.

The group said that public and private hospitals in the city need more supplies of medical equipment and medicines like Remdesivir.

“Increase the allotment of COVID-19 vaccines for Iloilo, which is badly hit by the virus right now, to mitigate the impact of the virus and hopefully reach the herd immunity soon,” it said.

The group also asked for augmentation of medical personnel in both public and private hospitals such as nurses, nursing assistant, and medical doctors.

They also appealed for provision of additional medical equipment, especially high low oxygen cannulas and ventilators for both government and private hospitals.

The group also asked for PhilHealth to fulfill its financial obligations to the different hospital and health facilities.