Western Visayas frontline responders against AH1N1 get vaccinated
by T. Villavert
Iloilo City (26 April) — Health workers of the Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City were vaccinated against the dreaded Influenza A(H1N1) during the launching of the A(H1N1) vaccine immunization in the region, April 26, and as part of the country’s response to the pandemic.
The vaccination went along well with the personnel of the DOH 6 where Assistant Director Convocar received the first shot of the vaccine.
As a backgrounder on the A(H1N1), Convocar said that in July 2009 the country has about 85,771 cases examined at the RITM laboratory and 7% or about 5,885 of that figure turned out positive.
Convocar said that the DOH in Western Visayas has received 15,000 vials to cover 45,000 health personnel of the region. The next priority of the vaccination are pregnant women; children 6 months old to 5 years old and adults aged 60 and above; and children aged 5 years old and above and adults aged below 60 with chronic medical conditions.
It will be recalled that in the press briefing with the Iloilo media, Dr. Marie Jocelyn Te, Regional Emerging Infectious Disease coordinator of DOH-CHD WV said that last June 2009 Western Visayas has 66 confirmed cases, and 150 Cases Under Observation and luckily we have no deaths. The Philippines has nine recorded deaths but lower compared to other countries in the whole world.
She said that as of April 11, 2010 global report on a (H1N1) disclosed that close to 214 countries have been affected and 17,798 deaths.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said in a DOH press report that more than 420,000 health workers at the national and local levels and the public and private sectors will benefit from the vaccine. The 1.9 million doses of the vaccine arrived during the last week of March and are being shipped to the different regions of the country. Health workers from the regional health offices and local government units have been oriented prior to the distribution of the vaccine.
The press report further said that the vaccines represent the first tranche of the promised 9 million doses by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of an agreement with the Philippine government signed on November 25 last year.
The WHO made its commitment during the 60th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in September last year where it said that donations from developed countries and pharmaceuticals are enough to cover 10% of the population of the developing world. WHO requested the Philippine government to authorize the use of these vaccines.
Cabral said that next in the priority list for vaccination are about 2.5 million pregnant women. Subsequent shipments will be given to other priority groups such as children six months to five years old, those 60 years old and above, and those with chronic medical conditions, the DOH press report disclosed. (PIA6)
PNP stations in Capiz set prayer vigil for HOPE 2010
by A. Lumaque
Roxas City (26 April) — A prayer vigil for honest, orderly and peaceful elections (HOPE) in May will be conducted at the Roxas City Police Station (RCPS) and all municipal police stations in the province on April 28.
The online article also added that the prayer vigil underscores one of the thrusts of the Integrated Transformation Program of the PNP which is the implementation of the moral and spiritual recovery program.
The CPPO in coordination with the Joint Security Coordinating Center (JSCC) – Capiz has also conducted the same activity last April 21 at the CPPO headquarters in Barangay Lanot, here.
“This is a very meaningful event as we have gathered today to strengthen our advocacy for a credible election. With your support, we have done all preparations to ensure HOPE to happen, now all we need is to place our trust to the Lord,” said Deputy Provincial Director Police S/Supt. Mario Millaro during the prayer vigil.
The initiative was attended by the religious authorities from the Roman Catholic Church, Baptist and Muslim groups and some local tri-media practitioners.
A singing of “Heal our Land” and the pinning of the PNP pin bearing the word HOPE concluded the activity. (CPPO/PIA)
Aklan detainee-voters ready for automated elections
by Venus G. Villanueva
Kalibo, Aklan (6 April) — Detainees at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) here are ready for the country’s first-ever automated elections.
Chief Inspector Berte said the BJMP will be escorting at least 20 detainees-voters who are residents of the municipality of Kalibo to the voting precincts on May 10, 2010.
According to the BJMP, they can only escort detainees from Kalibo due to the proximity of the polling places.
Also, BJMP-Aklan has only 19 personnel including the jail warden so it would be hard for them to escort detainees from other Aklan municipalities.
Presently, BJMP – Aklan has a total of 128 detainees. Of the twenty voters from Kalibo, 19 are males and one a female.
Berte said they will be securing court orders so the twenty voters could go to polling places on May 10, properly escorted by BJMP personnel.
Meanwhile, the Aklan Rehabilitation Center (ARC) here under the provincial government is awaiting moves from the COMELEC if a special polling place will be be installed in the rehabilitation center on May 10 to enable their detainees to vote.
Dizon Tropa, Provincial Guard I, said the ARC has 234 inmates, coming from various parts of the province. Like the BJMP, the ARC is awaiting for court orders so they could escort those intending to vote on May 10, if there will be no installed polling place in the area.
“If there are motions from their lawyers, it is our duty to escort them so they can vote on Election Day in their respective polling areas,” Tropa said.
Just very recently, the COMELEC promulgated Resolution No. 8811 on the rules and regulations on Detainee Voting in connection with the May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections.
Section 1 of the resolution states that detainee voting (either through the special polling place inside jails or escorted voting) may be availed of by any registered detainee whose registration record is not deactivated/cancelled.
A detainee, as described in the resolution, is understood to be any person 1) confined in jail, formally charged for any crime/s and awaiting/undergoing trial or 2) serving a sentence of imprisonment for less than one (1) year, or 3) whose conviction of a crime involving disloyalty to the duly constituted government such as rebellion, sedition, violation of the firearms laws or any crime against national security or for any other crime is on appeal.
BJMP-Aklan and the ARC are both located in Barangay Nalook, Kalibo, Aklan. (PIA)
