Hontiveros: “Mapapa-wow na lang lalo na ang ating mga LGUs na kulang na kulang ang stock ng gamot.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros slammed the Department of Health (DOH) due to expired prescribed drugs/medicines and medical supplies.
According to her, it was found out the health department purchased medical supplies worth P95.15 million that were not used because they had otherwise expired, were about to expire, or just stored in warehouses.
In an interview via Balitaan at Kamustahan in Abante on Friday, she shared how LGUs would react to this matter since there’s lacking medical stocks in barangay health stations and rural health units.
She also stressed the importance of the health department especially now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She questioned why more than P10 billion was not spent on the country’s healthcare workers, while “tens of billions of pesos” were transferred to other agencies without proper documentation.
Hontiveros said the issue with the COA report of DOH is a very hot topic.
Earlier, COA flagged DOH for allegedly questionable items such as the planned purchase of 4 laptops amounting to P700,000; P42.4 billion fund transfer to the DBM without proper documentation and failure to disburse some P4.8 million in financial assistance to health care workers.
This prompted Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to express their side on the matter raised by COA.
Apparently, he became emotional in giving the statement. Because of this, several senators called him out.
Meanwhile, COA Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo said that DOH was given 60 days to respond to its recommendations.
Amid the issues hurled against the health department, President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not accept Duque’s resignation if ever he steps down from his post as health chief.
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