Go eyes probe on DOH’s P367-M expiring medicines

Senator Bong Go. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said he would look into the possibility of investigating the Department of Health (DOH) over the P367-million worth of expired or expiring medicines.

Speaking with reporters in a phone patch interview at the Senate on Thursday, Go said he would first seek for an explanation from the DOH about the issue prior to a Senate inquiry.

“Kung kailangan, pwede nating pa-imbestigahan sa Senado ito in aid of legislation. Gusto ko munang makuha ang explanation ng DOH hinggil dito,” said Go, who has been elected as chair of the Senate health committee.

“Bottom line is ayaw nating nasasayang ang pera up to the last centavo…Marami pong mga kababayan natin ang nangangailangan ng tulong medikal at pinansyal,” he added.

Go issued this statement after an annual Commission on Audit (COA) report found that P367.1-million worth of medicines already nearing its expiration dates have yet to be distributed by the DOH.

READ: DOH keeping expiring drugs, supplies worth P367M, says COA 

The COA report also showed that most of these items procured by the DOH’s Central Office (CO), amounting to P294.767 million, are still in warehouses as of January 31, 2019.

“Dapat tignan nila (DOH) yan wag nilang sayangin…Wag yung, malapit na [mag-expire] saka nila i-distribute, eh…So pag-aralan nilang mabuti, pag-aralan nila yung time frame nitong pagpo-procure kung kailan pwedeng gamitin,” the neophyte senator said.

“Kailangan ko and explanation ng DOH tungkol dito. At kung kailangan imbistigahan, imbistigahan ko,” he added. /jpv