Hospital that admitted first local COVID-19 cases join vaccination program

Several doctors at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC), which admitted the country's first two local COVID-19 cases, got vaccinated on Wednesday, hoping to convince more health workers to get the jab.

According to Bernadette Reyes’ report on “24 Oras” Dr. Edgar Eufemio, chairman of the Department of Orthopedics, was among given the COVID-19 shot in the arm.

“If it starts pa with me na kaming mga doktor pa ang dapat nagko-convince ng mga pasyente na magpabakuna,” Eufemio said.

Patients 5 and 6, the first two cases of local transmission in the country, were admitted at CSMC before being brought to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine for treatment.

"I think it’s just so symbolic that we’re doing this event today," testing czar Vince Dizon said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sergie Fernandez, chief resident of the Department of Internal Medicine, said the vaccine will give him additional protection.

“I added additional defense ‘pag tumingin ng patients aside from the usual precautionary measures,” he said.

The mass vaccination in the hospital is scheduled to begin on Friday.

Sixty-one percent of the doctors in the hospital are set to be inoculated. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News