COA uncovers 'bogus' Botika ng Barangays in WV
A total of 901 Botika ng Barangays (BnB) operating in Western Visayas were discovered by government auditors to have been allowed to operate in the past year minus government-mandated "Special Licenses To Operate" (SLTO). Said figure comprise about 92% of the total 972 monitored in the region with only eight of these BnBs able to submit the required quarterly-reports in 2006.
The clear violation formed part of this year's major findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the operations of the Department of Health (DOH).
Further still, DOH 6 has over P57.8 million in inaccurate accounting of hospital property under its care and management alongside unsettled cash advances of various hospitals executives of nearly P2 million.
COA inventories of drugs and medicines purchased in the past year also noted millions in deficiencies as supposedly issued to the BnBs throughout the region.
For one, the Center for Health Development (CHD) for Western Visayas made it in the Commission's list of "deficient" centers with P10,996,557.60 in "unrecorded receipts and issuances of BnB." The amount was supposedly an "understatement" alongside the "overstatement" recorded totaling P10,771,877.10.
As provided for by DOH Administrative Order 144, the BnBs were to serve as government's drug outlets of certain low-priced medicines, prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Lately, other commonly used antibiotics were added to the list of BnB supplies. The DOH is tasked to oversee the operations of the BnBs to ensure that government-mandated rules are followed and the selling of said medicines done by a licensed pharmacist.
Analysis of the DOH's over-all accounts on drugs and medicine inventory revealed the significant errors. Also included were medical, dental and laboratory supplies.
The errors, according to government auditors, were caused by the "inadequate record-keeping practices of the accounting sections."
And more findings as well in the inspection conducted by the COA team in the pharmacy, laboratory and other stockrooms of hospitals and centers subject of the report.
The CHD-DOH 6 here once again made it in the report with COA highlighting such in its findings.
"Poor inventory management and the inadequate procurement planning and monitoring of drugs and medicines and laboratory supplies resulted in unutilized items in CHD Western Visayas amounting to P4,704,000.00… thereby wasting scarce government resources," excerpts of the COA report obtained by The News Today (TNT) stated.
Meantime, cash advances of DOH 6-hospitals were likewise reported by COA. Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) officials in Mandurriao, Iloilo City has the most in unsettled cash advances totaling P1,023,468.83. Unnamed officials of the CHD-6 have P415,091.05 on record while over P143,000 are unliquidated by hospital officials of the Corazon L. Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.