By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr.

The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) is helping the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte in its province-wide vaccination rollout against COVID-19. 

Heeding the request of Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew M. Manotoc, the University has tapped its health frontliners to take part in the Department of Health’s (DOH) Resbakuna campaign in the province. 

Faculty- and senior student-volunteers from the MMSU’s College of Medicine (COM) and College of Health Sciences (CHS) – Department of Nursing are deployed to the vaccination sites located in various localities in Ilocos Norte. 

Prof. Ryan Dean T. Sucgang, OIC-dean of CHS, said the MMSU team started assisting in the vaccination rollout held in San Nicolas Amphitheater last July 29. 

Today, July 31, the team is currently assisting the same in Mangato, Laoag City.

The MMSU volunteers assist the provincial team in screening, actual inoculation, and post-monitoring of the vaccinees.

They are expected to serve other provincial vaccination areas in the coming weeks.

Sucgang stressed, “the province needs help, cases are rising, and there is a dearth of health personnel in our locality. We hope to help save lives and make every Ilokano protected against the virus.”

He said the MMSU’s Resbakuna team is well-managed, making it capable of carrying-out its inoculation rollout in the university while helping the provincial government at the same time. 

For her part, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis commended the COM and CHS faculty and students “for wholeheartedly responding as volunteers for the vaccination rollout of the provincial government."

She also assured the University is always ready to help the provincial government in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. (StratCom)