Monday, July 10, 2006
P11M Mandaue equipment idle
By Aledel G. Cuizon
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
LABORATORY and medical equipment worth at least P11 million sat idle for two years in Mandaue City, and the Commission on Audit (COA) fears these might deteriorate.
The Mandaue City Hospital annex was supposed to house the laboratories and sections for x-ray, ultrasound and ECG, but it has not yet been completed, despite a P2.6 million allocation.
Construction materials like sand, gravel, culverts and asphalt are also left to the elements. No proper inventory was made, which might lead to wastage.
COA recommended that the City Engineering Office prepare a procurement plan as a guide, when implementing administration projects.
Still in crates
In its audit report, COA noted that an x-ray machine worth P3.1 million and air conditioning units are still in crates and boxes stored inside the hospital’s conference room.
Some air conditioning units were installed in the annex building, but are not yet functional.
Other unused equipment include a gas sterilizer and stainless steel drying gloves worth P1 million, a P1.8-million blood bank refrigerated centrifuge and furnishings for private rooms, worth P111,000.
The City, COA said, should finish the annex soon so the equipment will be installed and properly used.
If not, the hospital might not also be able to avail itself of the warranty in case the equipment have defects.
State auditors likewise found “substantial overstocking” of construction materials, which may indicate lack of sound and meticulous planning.
Construction materials for Casili’s barangay hall were not used when delivered, because the building was already constructed.
And those intended for phase two of the new public market are now covered with weeds. The steel bars have started to rust.
Inadequate records
COA said there are no stock cards for the materials, which is why state auditors could not trace who got them.
“Due to inadequacy of records on the quantity of construction materials on hand, management could not be able to assess and determine the reordering point of the items necessary for the repairs and maintenance of public infrastructure,” the report said.
The number of items to be purchased is supposed to be based on the actual needs of the agency to avoid “overstocking.”
The City, for its part, explained asphalt, culverts sand and gravel are in the stockyard so these will be readily available when needed.
The City Engineering Office already heeded COA by preparing supplies cards to record properly the materials.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 10, 2006 issue)
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