The Department of Health (DOH) finds the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Negros Occidental very slow and wants it ramped up, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Friday, November 12.
Provincial Health Office records as of Thursday, November 11, showed that 20.76 percent of the target population of Negros Occidental has been fully vaccinated, while 26.52 percent of the target has had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Dr. Adriano Suba-an, DOH Western Visayas regional director, met with Lacson and provincial health officials at the Capitol in Bacolod City Friday.
“Admittedly there is really a need to ramp up it up,” Lacson said of the Negros Occidental vaccination drive.
The governor said he is holding a Zoom meeting with the mayors and their health officers to discuss how they can speed up their vaccine rollouts considering that the vaccines are available.
“I think there is not enough communication between the local chief executives and their health officers as to the real performance of their LGUs (local government units),” he said.
“The concern of the DOH is on how the province of Negros Occidental can improve its vaccine rollout”, Lacson said.
Negros Occidental is the lowest in terms of target population vaccinated, but it is ranked second in terms of number of persons vaccinated in Western Visayas, he said.
That is because Negros Occidental has the largest target population to be vaccinated at 1,825,370, he said.
Lacson said the vaccination in Negros Occidental will be brought down to the barangay level.
The DOH is encouraging the strengthening of the vaccination teams in every LGU, Lacson said.
The provincial government has also created vaccination teams to augment LGUs if they need more manpower, he added.
Negros Occidental had 1,223 active COVID -19 cases and 22 new deaths, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported Friday.*