Thursday, June 28, 2007 Cleansing of regional hospital in the offing
CLEANSING is now in the offing at the state-run Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III promised that in a week time, results of the investigation on the alleged corruption in the said hospital will be released.
Duque then vowed to cleanse the hospital against corrupt officials who will be proven guilty of doing irregularities within the hospital. He reiterated that there are no “sacred cows” in this case.
The brouhaha at CLMMRH is rooted on the issue of corruption. The issues include the over purchase and over pricing of medical oxygen tanks, expensive food caterings and irregularities in the biddings of various projects in the hospital.
Baylon is accusing Dr. Domingo Vega, chief of hospital, of practicing corruption in all transactions of the hospitals.
Baylon questioned the P100,000 monthly payment of the hospital for the catering services alone by Casa Noble Restaurant.
He accused Vega at the Office of the Ombudsman for the questionable bidding for the purchase of medical oxygen tanks.
In his complaint, Baylon said normally, the price of medical oxygen is P288.50 per cylinder.
However, he was shocked to know that during the bidding last March this year, he found out that the four suppliers who joined had a uniform bid price of P350 per cylinder so they all won. These suppliers were the Prycegas, Cegasco, A1-Gas and Southern Industrial Gas.
Likewise, Baylon also questioned the 3,000 to 4,000 medical oxygen being brought by CLMMRH every month.
He said this is too much because even the Philippine General Hospital is only consuming more a thousand oxygen tanks every month.
Duque, in his comment, also said using 3,000 to 4,000 medical oxygen tanks every month, is also too much.
Though, he said he wanted first to read the results and recommendation of DOH’s investigating team regarding the issue.
Baylon also questioned the earlier act of Vega by not implementing the so-called Notice to Proceed in all purchases of the hospital as mandated under Republic Act 9184.
Even Vega’s part-time teaching job in different schools in Bacolod was also questioned by Baylon.
Vega’s simple replied to all these: Baylon has only an ‘ax to grind’ against me after I accused him before the DOH for falsification of public documents and dishonesty.
Duque, however, said, “Truth will prevail soon.”(EASD)
