City Hall explains delayed dengue supplies

ABOUT P2.5-million worth of chemicals and supplies for Cebu City’s anti-dengue campaign bought last year drew the attention of the Commission on Audit (COA).

Eva Cabrera, COA Cebu City chief, said the chemicals and supplies the city government bought for their anti-dengue campaign last year were only used early this year.

She said this constitutes a waste of government funds.

But Dr. Stella Ygona, Cebu City Health Office chief, said the supplies were delivered only last December, when dengue cases went on a decline.

The City Council passed a resolution on April 13 last year allocating P2.5 million for these supplies.

The amount was sourced from the city’s calamity fund while the procurement was made a few months before the number of dengue cases escalated to an outbreak, Ygona said.

Despite securing help from organizations and the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), the city’s supply fell below the authorized stock level or 25 percent of the annual stocks for its anti-dengue program.

“I sincerely regretted the procurement was done in an emergency mode. I was apprehensive considering the very risky situation due to a marked increase in dengue fever cases,” Ygona’s letter to Cabrera read. Correspondent Fatrick Tabada