Health Secretary Ona defends purchase of PCV 10 vaccine

Health Secretary Enrique Ona. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the Philippine government has saved over P200-million for the purchase of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines 10 (PCV 10) by his department in 2012.

In his sworn affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Ona said because PCV 10 is more cost effective than PCV 13, the Department of Health (DOH) has managed to increase the beneficiaries from 300,000 to 423, 000 infants.

“My decision to purchase PCV 10 has allowed the Philippine government to realize savings of P231,720,401.00 (P833,670,642.00 for PCV 13 vs. P601,950,241.00 for PCV 10) and also enabled the DOH to increase the original number of beneficiaries from 300,000.00 to 423,000.00 infants,” Ona said in his affidavit.

“The primary objective in procuring PCV 10 instead of 13 was to enable the DOH optimize limited government resources and to have the most number of infant beneficiaries but still achieve the best possible health outcomes,” he added.

“As the head of the National Drug Policy Office mentioned in EO 49, I exercised my best judgment in issuing the Certificate of Provisional Exemption to PCV 10 in order to enable the Philippine Government to purchase this vaccine, which is $1 per dose cheaper than PCV 13, but also of proven safety, quality, and efficacy,” Ona further explained.

The PCV 10 purchase triggered controversy after President Benigno Aquino III ordered the investigation following reports that the DOH made the purchase contrary to the recommendation by the National Center for Pharmaceutical Access and Management, Formulary Executive Council (NCPAM) to procure the “more cost effective” PCV 13, which covers several pulmonary diseases.

Ona reportedly issued the required certificate of exemption for the PCV 10 procurement, while its purchase was recommended by Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag.

But the Health chief said there is nothing wrong with the exemption he issued for PCV 10 as he pointed out that NCPAM is directly under his office.

He added that he did not authorize NCPAM Director Ma. Virginia G. Ala to issue the exemption for PCV13. The exemption is necessary to facilitate the delivery of the vaccine.

Ona also said that in pursuing the purchase of the vaccines, he followed in good faith the guidelines set under the law.

The NBI is conducting the probe to determine possible laws violated and possible liabilities of the health officials.