Being prepared

The various health centers in the country have started to provide bivalent vaccines, although their supply is still limited. So frontliners and those with co-morbidities such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer are prioritized first. The DOH will issue relevant guidelines on who can eventually be given. The bivalent vaccine can also serve as a booster shot.

But even with a new free vaccine, there are still people who refuse to get vaccinated or don't want to receive additional protection for the stupidest of reasons. I can't understand why they would think this way. It's better to have protection and not need it than need it after getting sick. In today’s world, it is better to be prepared for anything.

Case in point. I read about the death of a 12-year-old boy in Sogod, Southern Leyte, after being bitten by a snake. After being bitten, the child cleaned the wound but after an hour he experienced difficulty in breathing. He was rushed to the Sogod District Hospital but according to them, the anti-venom is only available in Tacloban. They made the trip to Tacloban, but the child did not make it. The boy’s elder sister lamented the unavailability of anti-venom in their hospital and wished all hospitals carried the life-saving medicine. Since there are poisonous snakes in their area, it would be logical for hospitals to carry anti-venom.

The Philippines is home to many poisonous snakes. That's why hospitals should have anti-venom available in places where those snakes are known to have their habitat. This is one aspect of healthcare where we fall short, especially in the rural areas. These areas need medicine in times of need.

Aside from medicine, they also need nurses and doctors. But we know nurses prefer to work abroad and doctors prefer working in Metro Manila or the other big cities in the country. There are times doctors are politicized, further discouraging them to work in rural areas. There are good hospitals all over the country, but people who live in remote areas are always at a disadvantage. Just like the child bitten by a snake. If only there was anti-venom in their area, knowing that there were venomous snakes, he would have been saved.

The pandemic revealed the world's unpreparedness for such a health crisis. Now that we have the vaccines, hopefully, people will avail of them. Again, it is always better to be prepared. Whether it's a vaccine or an anti-venom, you never know when you'll need them to save your life.