National Police chief General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar has ordered all police regional and provincial directors to closely coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) in identifying police camps that can be used as vaccination sites, as the government prepares for the inoculation of essential workers and indigent Filipinos.
At the same time, Eleazar directed police officials to prepare for contingencies with the possible utilization of camps for the vaccination program, including assisting those who would undergo inoculation.
“All police camps are open to host this endeavor, and if needed, the PNP [Philippine National Police] is ready to assist in transporting those who will take a part in the inoculation program,” Eleazar said in Filipino.
“We in the PNP are always ready to serve the public, and our countrymen are assured of our help no matter the time and place. We have been and we should always be helping each other,” he added.
The PNP chief’s assurance came after vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. announced that police and military camps would be used as vaccination sites for the A4 priority sector as more Covid-19 vaccine shipments arrive in the country.
Inoculation for the A4 category in the vaccine priority list, which includes security forces, fire personnel, and those working in Customs and immigration, is expected to commence by the end of the month.
“I had already issued orders to all regional and provincial directors to list the camps and offices that could be able to serve as venues for vaccination, and also be prepared to implement the directive of Secretary Galvez that the mass vaccination would be launched probably early next month. We will submit the list to the NTF [National Task Force] Covid-19 of all the camps that could be used, including the protocols that we would implement for the vaccination,” the country’s top cop said.
Eleazar pointed out that police camps would make good vaccination sites because of their big and open spaces where proper physical distancing can be observed once the administration of vaccines takes place in these areas.
The PNP chief added he plans to confer with Galvez on the use of police camps as inoculation hubs.
As for the possible use of police stations as vaccination centers, Eleazar said that the PNP has to wait for further guidance from President Duterte who had previously floated the idea.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police-Medical Reserve Force (PNP-MRF) was deployed to various Quezon City vaccination centers to assist in the inoculation of Covid-19 vaccines and prevent long queues and overcrowding.
Members of the PNP-MRF were assigned at the San Francisco High School, the Project 6 Elementary School and at the Masambong Elementary School, all in Quezon City which are all being utilized as vaccination centers for city residents.