Private firms helping gov't in vaccine supply chain management

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Philippines would pull through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as both the private and the public sector worked together.

In his report to President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday's televised Cabinet briefing, Galvez named several private companies that lent the government consultants to help in managing the supply chain of vaccines.

“Palagay ko Mr. President, in short, kaya po natin. Kaya po natin kasi tulong-tulong po ang private sector at ang public sector,” Galvez said.

Galvez said the service providers and pharmaceutical companies bought a $15,000 dollar mobile freezer that will be able to carry thousands of doses of vaccines.

“Actually bumili po sila ng tig $15,000 na refrigator na parang freezing ano, mobile freezer, at ‘yun po ay makakapag-karga ng mga more or less ilang hundred thousand na vaccines,” he said.

According to Galvez, tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. also said he would get Moderna's vaccine from Spain.

"'Yung moderna, nag-negotiate din po kami kahapon ng umaga at positive din po. At nangako si Sir Enrique Razon na siya na ang kukuha sa Spain ng mga supplies, pro bono. Ang kaniyang mga barko atsaka kaniyang mga airplane ang kukuha para dalhin po dito sa atin ang vaccine," Galvez said.

"Nangako rin po si Sir Enrique Razon na kakalapin niya ang mga business sector para makakuha ng at least, at a minimum, mga three to five million na doses para sa ating mga workers at donations po sa government," he added.

The vaccine czar said they will also create a synchronization matrix for the rollout of vaccines.

“So ang gagawin lang po natin is gagawa po tayo ng magandang chart atsaka ‘yung synchonization matrix. I-syncrhonize lang natin na pagka-dating, agad i-deploy natin,” he said.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Department of Health is making arrangements for the third party logistics providers.

“Sila po ang magsasagawa ng mula brokerage to storage, warehousing, hauling, and distribution. So end to end po ang gagawin nilang distribution and deployment system,” Duque said.

“At kakayanin po natin ito… kahit na ano pong temperature ang kinakailangan kasi iba’t ibang bakuna, iba’t iba pong temperatura ang kinakailangan,” he added.—LDF, GMA News