Police officers as “bakunadors” in Maguindanao fight vs polio
HEALTH • 16:30 PM Thu Jan 23, 2020
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
"Bakunador" Law Enforcers. PRO-BARMM police officers manning a checkpoint in Maguindanao administer vaccination on children on board public and private vehicles passing by a police checkpoint in Barangay Pinantao, Parang, Maguindanao. (PRO-BAR photo)
PARANG, Maguindanao – Police authorities in the Bangsamoro region have actively participationg in the “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” while perfomring their duties as peacekeepers.
At 9 a.m. Thursday in a police checkpoint in the village of Pinantao, Parang, Maguindanao, police officers, led by Lt. Colonel Edgar Putiz, chief of Regional Health Service Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, administer vaccination to children on board passing vehicles with their parents to ensure they are protected from polio virus.
Lt. Darren Glenn Reyes, nurse officer and Major Michelle Deiparine, chief nurse, perform vaccination on children 59 months old and below on board all vehicles traveling from the towns of Barira, Buldon and Matanog in Maguindano and even those from Lanao del Sur passing by Barangay Pinantao.
Brig. Gen. Marni Marcos, regional director of Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) has directed all police personnel across the region to actively participate in the campaign against polio virus.
BARMM covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, Lamitan and the 63 villages in North Cotabato.
His directive includes actual dropping of vaccines to children and providing security to health providers going to remote areas of the region.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Guer Law Andolana, OIC Medical Dispensary of PRO-BAR Regional Health Services, earlier coordinated with the Maguindanao health office and the Rural Health Unit of Parang, Maguindanao for the police participation in ensuring children are free from polio virus.
“Masaya makita sir na pati mga police nagbibigay ng anti-polio vaccines sa mga anak namin (Glad to see even police officers administering vaccination on our children),” Bai Susan whose daughter was a recipient of anti-polio drops while they were traveling to Cotabato City from Barira town.
Gen. Marcos said the police participation in the drive against polio will continue until the massive vaccination is over on Feb. 2.
Dr. Elizabeth Samama, Maguindanao health chief, lauded the police participation in the campaign as it provided additional manpower to about 600 “bakunadors” across the province of Maguindanao.
Nine children in Maguindanao have been confirmed to have polio. Two were discovered late last year while seven only this month.
