Health chief says: Budget for meds can spur "health crisis"

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Health Department is worried that the city may experience a “health crisis” with the minimal budget approved for drugs and medicines approved by the City Council.

CHD head Dr. Stella Ygonia said the city health has a deficit of P20 million because the council only approved P20 million for the purchase of drugs and medicines.

CHD originally proposed a budget of P133.4 million, reportedly the ideal amount for the purchases to cater to cater to over 800,000 residents of Cebu City.

Since the Council approved only 15 percent of what was proposed, Ygonia said the amount is not enough to pay for the projected P40 million minimum amount to purchase the needed drugs and medicines.

 “The P40 million is already the minimum requirement, therefore we are deficit by about P20 million. Some health services are greatly affected by the cut,” Ygonia said.

“However, I told the doctors in the health centers to inform the barangay captains that they cannot demand more than what was approved by the council. Barangay officials must be aware of the situation because they should know where they can come in,” she added.

Ygonia said the barangays must help the city health office when the time comes when the supply of drugs and medicines gets depleted.

Asked if she is disappointed that a bigger amount was allocated for infrastructure projects for barangays, at least P1 billion, Ygonia simply said they cannot go against the decision of the Council.

To recall, the Council announced that the over P1 billion funds for infrastructure projects and other expenditures for the barangays would not be slashed. The budget would cover infrastructure projects like road concreting, road widening, construction of buildings like health centers and reading centers, slope protection for mountain barangays and purchase of vehicles, among others. 

Ygonia said the slash in the budget of the CHD would affect the maternal health care, the child health care, dengue prevention and rabies control, prevention and management of TB in children, prevention of sexually transmitted disease and nutrition.

She said what they proposed for this year was supposedly a budget that prioritizes the preventive aspect in the promotions of health.

“Preventive and promotive health cost very much less than subsidizing cost of hospitalizations. With the minimum health budget that CCHD had proposed there are programs affected in terms of medicines and priority supplies,” Ygonia said.

For maternal health care, Ygonia said they would not be able to purchase enough iron supplements for pregnant mothers and now lacks budget for management of common infection during pregnancy. They also lack budget for management of post partum infection and the budget to ensure attendance to deliveries.

CHD proposed P15 million for maternal health care but the Council only approved only P10 million. – (FREEMAN)