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Sunday, April 13, 2003
Lobregat: Where are the drugs?
By Jess Alcoran
MAYOR Maria Clara Lobregat Thursday asked for the whereabouts of millions of pesos worth of medicines provided or donated to the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) following reports that patients in that facility are asked to buy their own medicines including medical supplies as surgical gloves.
The City Council, on motion of Councilor Charlie Mariano, called on the city mayor to provide medicines to the ZCMC.
Mayor Lobregat said that she can ot understand why the ZCMC does not have enough supply of medicines.
Several millions of pesos worth of medicines and medical supply contained in several vans were recently delivered to the ZCMC by the Spanish Government.
The supply is part of a loan extended by Spain to the Philippine Government.
Aside from this Spanish donation, the US Government, through Balikatan, also donated millions of dollars' worth of medicines to Center.
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) likewise provided millions of pesos to the center for the purpose of medicines and the like.
"And now they have no medicines," mayor Lobregat said.
An official of the hospital denounced that while there are records of arrivals or receipt of medicines, there is no proper inventory of the whereabouts of these drugs and other medical supplies.
The mayor said that the city is already burdened in providing medicines to the needy residents of the city.
Nevertheless, Lobregat said she will have to check on the request made by Mariano.
According to Mariano, the City Government used to provide medicines to the hospital but this was stopped and the drugs are now channeled to the City Health Office (CHO).
The CHO supplies medicines to its more than a hundred health centers within the 98 barangays of the city.
"They will have to write us to tell what medicines they need" This were in essence the reply of Mayor Maria Clara L. Lobregat with regards to the council resolution filed by Mariano.
ZCMC personnel officer Medardo Castillo said that the hospital has a 50 percent budgetary deficit because the City Government cannot provide the medicines needed by the hospital and patients.
(April 11, 2003 issue)
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