MANILA, Philippines – Sinita ng Commission on Audit (COA) ang Department of Health (DOH) nitong Martes, Disyembre 3 dahil sa P11 bilyong halaga ng mga gamut at medical supplies na expired na at hindi nagamit mula pa noong 2023.
Sa audit report, sinabi ng COA na ang expired supplies ay nagkakahalaga ng P11,186,368,902.47 kabilang ang 7,035,161 vials ng COVID-19 vaccines na napaso na sa mga warehouse ng DOH at health facilities.
Sinabi ng COA na ito ay resulta ng “inadequate procurement planning and poor distribution and monitoring systems” na nagresulta sa pagkasayang ng pondo ng pamahalaan.
Salungat ito sa Section 2 ng Presidential Decree No. 1445 o Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.
Anang COA, ang expired at damaged COVID-19 vaccines ay na-tag bilang “quarantine.”
Sa report, ipinaliwanag ng DOH warehouse manager na Nonpareil, isang international freight at cargo service provider, na “they are just waiting for further instruction with the end-user on what to do with the vaccines.”
Samantala, sinabi ng Supply Chain Management Service (SCMS) officers sa COA na naghahanda na sila ng report kaugnay sa disposal ng mga bakuna ayon sa Warehouse Operations Manual at COA rules and regulations.
“The COVID-19 vaccines wastage were brought by: (1) the non-willingness of priority group for the succeeding booster shots, particularly SC [senior citizens]; (2) reluctance of LGUs and health facilities in accepting the vaccines due to lack in cold room storage and doubt if they could consume the same; and (3) most of quarantine or expired vaccines delivered were already in its extended life,” saad sa report.
Ang bulto ng expired vials o 5,428,915 ay binili ng DOH Central Office, habang ang 1.5 milyon ay donasyon ng iba’t ibang pisina o center para sa health development.
Mayroon ding 24,539 bags ng donated dialysis solution na nagkakahalaga ng P37,561,409.33 ang napaso noong 2023.
Batay sa report, ang mga ito ay natanggap ng hindi lalampas sa isa at kalahating taon bago ang expiry at tumanggi ang mga recipient na tanggapin ito dahil sa kakulangan ng storage space at hindi na magagamit.
“In addition, inventories nearing expiration or those with less than one-year shelf life amounting to a total of P65,444,524.35 were also found unutilized and undistributed in DOH offices and health facilities as of December 31, 2023,” sinabi ng COA.
“We recommended that the SOH issue guidelines to the SCMS, warehouses, CHDs, OUs, LGUs and private sectors as to the proper treatment/disposal on the expired COVID-19 vaccines, and henceforth, ensure that proper planning, reasonable allocation, duties and accountabilities of DOH Offices are established for procurement and receipt of vaccines,” dagdag pa.
Sinabi ng DOH na mayroon nang nagpapatuloy na inspeksyon ng Disposal Committee para sa mga bakunang nakatago pa rin sa mga warehouse ng DOH. RNT/JGC
