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Monday, October 10, 2005
Doctors claim more scam at city hospital
By Edwin G. Espejo
NOT only is the city-run General Santos City Hospital buying fake medicines, it may also be purchasing drug supplies by as much as 300 percent, revealed the General Santos City Medical Society, whose president sits at the local health board.
In an undated position paper following reports that "counterfeit medicines" are being supplied in the city's lone government hospital, the medical practitioners in the city also called for "a total revamp of the procurement system of basic drugs and medical supplies" in order to restore public trust.
"Safe and effective medicines should never be compromised, especially since the City Hospital has a huge budget," the statement further said.
Last week, at least two reports from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (Bfad) were leaked out to the local press indicating two medicines purchased by the city government "did not conform with standard" and are thus counterfeit medicines.
The drugs, gentamicin suflate and cloxacillin sodium, purchased at the cost of over P150,000 were found to be fake.
The said drugs were manufactured by Lumar Pharmaceutical Laboratories and were supplied by Davao-based DMI Medical Supplies.
According to the group, the same distributor also supplied the city hospital with a respirator that "lacks parts and as well as poor quality surgical instruments."
DMI Medical Supplies could not be reached despite efforts to get in touch with its representative in the city.
As this developed, the General Santos City Medical Society claimed they were informed that more generic drugs purchased by the city government did not have the desired effects when administered by government doctors to their patients.
"Dr. Jude Bontuyan lamented that the generic midazzolan does not induce sleep in his patients for general anesthesia," the medical practitioners said.
Furthermore, another government doctor, Dr. Danny Aliwalas, reportedly told them that foursemide likewise failed "to diurese" his patients even after multiple doses.
All eight government doctors at the General Santos City Hospital submitted their courtesy resignation over a separate row with top city officials before the report of fake drugs came out in the local media.
But they have been reportedly complaining over the said issue.
Meanwhile, City Administrator Rodrigo Salangsang last week washed his hands over the discovery of the said fake medicines.
Salangsang said as the representative of a member of the bids and wards committee, his responsibilities stop upon the announcement of the winning bidder.
Salangsang said it was already the responsibility of the city pharmacists to make sure the purchased drugs are genuine and conform to the government standard.
City pharmacist Asuncion Rodrihuez, however, claimed she had written Salangsang to inform the latter of the Bfad finding as early as March this year.
Rodrihuez reportedly made another letter in July.
In both occasion, no direct actions were taken on her letter.
Last week, Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. told Sun.Star that he already ordered city legal officer Virgilio Alconera to file appropriate charges against the supplier of the assailed drugs.
(October 10, 2005 issue)
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