Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 31) — The Commission on Higher Education is crafting the guidelines on tapping medical and nursing students as additional vaccinators for the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
CHED chairperson Prospero De Vera said the government plans to enlist fourth-year and fifth-year students as well as graduates who have not yet passed the board exam.
“Positive naman ang response ng mga eskwelahan. We are now crafting the guidelines to see how it will work. Kasi kailangan na natin ng dagdag na tulong para sa pagbabakuna habang dumadami ang dumadating na bakuna sa atin,” he said during the Laging Handa briefing on Tuesday.
[Translation: We received positive response from the schools. We are now crafting the guidelines to see how it will work. Because we need additional help in the vaccination program as more vaccines arrive in the country.]
Testing czar Vince Dizon earlier said that the government seeks to enlist medical students to assist in the country’s vaccination program, especially in areas where there is a surge in COVID-19 cases.
De Vera also stressed the need to produce more doctors despite calls to postpone the physician licensure exam in September.
“Kailangan natin ng additional health workers dahil sa COVID (We need additional workers because of COVID). So we have to produce more doctors,” he said.
CHED has allowed 118 higher education institutions to conduct limited face-to-face classes for their medical and allied health programs.
