CONSTRUCTION of the Marawi City General Hospital should have started last year but government auditors said this did not happen because the Department of Health (DOH) failed to use the P62-million budget released to begin site development and landscaping work.
The audit team said President Duterte approved the project on Nov. 17, 2020 and the Department of Budget and Management issued the special allotment release order (SARO) 10 days after.
The SARO made the P62 million available to the DOH yet no action was made to move the project forward.
“No obligation was made pertaining to these funds, thus, the same lapsed and were reverted to the national treasury,” the Commission on Audit said.
However, auditors noted the DOH was able to spend donations from the Chinese Embassy totaling P4.2 million to buy a light cargo truck and a small delivery van with a combined cost of P4.145 million. The balance of P42,670 was also reverted to the national treasury.
The DOH management attributed the low fund utilization to complicated and hazardous work, travel restrictions, lapses in procurement activities, lack of manpower, and few interested contractors or suppliers.
But auditors said the DOH, being the health agency mandated to coordinate government health programs and services, has the duty to “ensure efficient delivery of needed health services” to the public.
“We are of the view that the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic must inspire the DOH to do more. Health services play a vital role in saving the lives of Filipinos,” the COA said.
The DOH failure to use appropriations for the Marawi City General Hospital was included in the adverse audit finding on DOH for low utilization of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Funds (DRRMF).
There are three main components in the DOH DRRMF: Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HEPR) Fund with P279.49 million in funding; Quick Response Fund (QRF), P827.638 million; and Calamity Fund, P593.836 million.
The audit team said that as of year-end, there are still huge amounts left unspent with P69.59 million from the HEPR Fund, P185.59 million from the QRF, and P61 million from the Calamity Fund, or a total of P316.38 million.
“The condition demonstrates that not enough programs and projects were implemented during the year in order to mitigate related risks and alleviate the people’s condition faster to recovery. It likewise manifests that there was no efficient use of fiscal resources despite hefty fund appropriations/allocations,” the COA said.
The DOH management attributed low fund utilization to complicated and hazardous work, travel restrictions, lapses in the procurement activities, lack of manpower, and few interested contractors or suppliers.
Auditors however said, being the health agency mandated to coordinate the government health programs and services, the DOH has the duty to “ensure efficient delivery of needed health services” to the public.
“We are of the view that the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic must inspire the DOH to do more. Health services play a vital role in saving the lives of Filipinos,” the COA said.
