NEWS| Keeping the FLAMES Visible and Burning in 'Operation: Bakunahan'

Keeping the FLAMES Visible and Burning in 'Operation: Bakunahan'

Neil Mark L. Galvez

Between initiative and leadership, UPang students, the City Health Office, Dagupan-LGU, and the Department of Health (DOH) collaborated for Operation: Bakunahan on November 30, 2021, and January 28, 2022.

In celebration of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Days, PHINMA-UPang held an off-site vaccination event called 'Operation: Bakunahan' led by the College of Health and Sciences (CHS) in partnership with the City Health Office, Dagupan-LGU, DOH, CSDL, and RSOs such as CASSC and CHSSC. 'Operation: Bakunahan' encourages and extends their way in helping eligible individuals—especially UPang students—who are not yet vaccinated.

Aside from the massive vaccination drive that aims to increase the vaccine coverage concerning the health and safety measures of the patients, the event also highlighted the student leaders' initiative and the clinical exposures of nursing students who took part under the supervision of their respective instructors.

According to Professor Rebenson Sison, one of the volunteers who guided the BSN students, the clinical exposure of nursing students during this event will cover the experiences that they would encounter in their future hospital affiliations.

"Nursing students' experiences of their clinical practices provide a greater insight to develop effective clinical strategies, and it also prepares them in their future careers. As we all know that due to the pandemic, we are all affected by the virus. Medical courses are very affected because they're not able to have their affiliations in hospitals. To be exposed in a clinical setting helps them to learn and [be] knowledgeable about the procedures and hospital setups," he said.

He also added that their participation would be supplemental to the nursing students, especially since they don't have enough clinical exposure and duties yet.

"Due to [the] pandemic, they are not yet able to have their hospital affiliations, but we utilized this event to be part of their RLE (Related Learning Experience) duty," he expressed with positivity and high hopes.

BSN students view this event as something that can ease their deprivation, especially those in their crucial year.

VACCINATION DRIVE - BS Nursing student-volunteer injects Sinovac vaccine to patient.

Photo by Denisse P. Brillante

Jamela Mae Zabala, a 4th-year BSN student, shared the same sentiments. According to her, most BSN students were grateful now that they were given a chance to volunteer and experience what it is like to be on duty. BSN students and other important volunteers are assigned to perform the vaccinations with their instructors' supervision. Aside from that, some BSN students assisted patients from different stations (for screening, vaccination, monitoring, and discharging) and gave free snacks (in partnership with CSDL, CASSC, CHSSC, and other UPang staff).

She added, "It was really fulfilling to help and assist [the patients]. And 'yung feeling na they keep on saying "Thank you" dahil nagkaroon ng Operation: Bakunahan sa school and how accommodating we are to them." Zabala also encourages and uplifts other students, who can be involved in these kinds of events, that they should convince those individuals who do not want to be vaccinated to help and minimize the spread of the virus.

UPang will continue to offer Moderna, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), AstraZeneca, Sputnik V (Gamaleya), CoronaVac (Sinovac), Booster, and BioNTech, Pfizer for those who have at least three months in their second dose.