THE CHANCELLOR of the University of the Philippines Visayas appealed to the government to provide more vaccines for Iloilo residents.

In a letter to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and National Task Force Against Covid19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez, Jr., Chancellor Clement Camposano said the Covid19 surge in the province has caused anxiety among residents.

“I am writing in my capacity as the Chancellor of UPV and as an Illonggo. On behalf of the UPV community, which has been actively supporting the vaccination campaign of the government, I would like to appeal for a greater vaccination allocation for the City of Iloilo and the Province of Iloilo,” Camposano said.

He stressed that the government’s support will help the city combat the pandemic and secure the gains of the vaccination program.

“As one research outfit reported, Western Visayas is now among the epicenters of the pandemic in the country. The nation’s vaccination program is a potent solution to counteracting the rising number of cases, but vaccination in Iloilo City and Iloilo Province have been hindered by the limited supply of vaccines,” Camposano said.

Mayor Jerry Treñas earlier appealed for help and asked the national government to provide High Flow Oxygen Therapy and antiviral drugs Remdesivir and Tocilizumab.

The city mayor also asked for 50,000 swab test kits after the city ran out of kits.

He also appealed to the DOH  to augment the city’s health personnel because medical workers were either infected with Covid19 or exhausted.

As of June 16, there were 2,551 active Covid19 cases in Iloilo City.