State-run Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) here has ramped up its efforts to convince the public on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines by holding a forum and inoculation simulation exercise.

The hospital is designated as the Covid-19 referral facility of the Department of Health in the Ilocos region.

Jhey-ar Mangati, MMMH&MC’s health education and promotions officer, said Saturday the public health forum on Feb. 24 was organized to address the safety issues of the public with the Covid-19 vaccines.

The event was led by the Executive Director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, Dr. Lulu Bravo.

During the forum, Bravo said the public should not fear the Covid-19 vaccine as the minimal adverse effects one might experience would be nothing compared to the benefits and protection it offers.

While on Feb. 25, MMMH&MC also conducted its first vaccination simulation exercise with at least 50 health workers.

Dr. Gretchen Ranada, head of MMM&MC’s public health unit, said the exercise helped the hospital to identify which areas needed to be improved in line with its vaccination plan and strategies.

Aside from the workers of the hospital, those who also participated in the drill were personnel of the health units of Paoay town and this city, and the Ilocos Norte medical society.

Their suggestions and recommendations were collected to ramp up the vaccine efforts of the hospital, Ranada said.

“This way, we could determine opportunities on how to be more systematic [during the actual vaccination],” she added.

The national Covid-19 vaccination deployment plan was followed during the drill, Ranada said.

Before the mock inoculation, the participants had to be checked for symptoms of Covid-19 before registering.

Their consent to be vaccinated was each secured before a designated government doctor conducted a thorough physical examination to determine if the patient is eligible to receive the vaccine.

A simulated vaccine counseling and post-vaccination monitoring followed.

Dr. Ma. Lourdes Otayza, MMMH&MC’s chief, said the hospital is eyeing to inoculate all of its more than a thousand employees by the second quarter of the year.

She added that almost 100 percent of the hospital’s workforce signified their interest to be vaccinated. (PNA)