THE Commission on Audit (COA) has found hospital equipment worth P1.225 billion purchased by the Department of Health (DOH) that have been undelivered, unutilized, or not getting the required calibration and preventive maintenance as of December 31, 2020.
The procurements were made under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), which was aimed at upgrading primary health facilities including barangay health stations (BHS) and rural health units (RHUs).
Considered a banner program under the Aquino administration, HFEP was supposed to enable provincial and regional health facilities to provide adequate services in their jurisdictions, train available health personnel outside of major cities to perform gate-keeping functions and thus, decongest major hospitals.
However, auditors found that hospital equipment bought with taxpayers money amounting to P1,225,260,566.29 are either left idle or not getting the necessary upkeep to prevent deterioration.
The audit report however did not enumerate what types of equipment were covered.
According to the audit team, P873.47 million worth of equipment are not getting regular calibration and maintenance. These are located in Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), with P839.48 million and Schistosomiasis Control and Research Hospital (SCRH) with P33.99 million.
On the other hand, unutilized equipment worth P296.416 million were also found in EVRMC (P188.865 million), Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH), P85 million; Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center (ASTMMC), P9.92 million; Western Visayas Center of Health Development (WVCHD), P9.033 million; and Las Pinas General Hospital-Satellite Trauma Center (LPGH-STC), P3.6 million.
The WVCHD, Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development (EVCHD), and Caraga Regional Hospital (CRH) were also supposed to receive undelivered equipment worth P37.39 million.
“These occurrences manifested poor strategic planning and inadequate monitoring by the OUs (operating units) and runs contrary to the policy of the State that all resources shall be used appropriately,” the COA said.
It warned the DOH that prolonged idleness of the expensive equipment will shorten their lifespan and serviceability, while lack of proper maintenance could cause malfunctions and premature breakdown.
“In effect, the main goal of the HFEP to improve the delivery of basic, essential, as well as specialized health care services through the revitalization … and upgrading of health facilities was not attained,” the COA added.
Based on the recommendation of government auditors, Health Secretary Francisco Duque had agreed to demand that suppliers speed up the delivery of equipment based on required specifications and to ensure the readiness of recipient hospitals to receive and operate the same equipment.
Likewise, the DOH operating units were instructed to ensure that suppliers will provide adequate and timely calibration and preventive maintenance.
