Lone opposition councillor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa has questioned the health budget request of four city government departments as he states the solicited amount for Vitamin C with Zinc and alcohol is overpriced.
This is in referral to the Sodium Ascorbate with Zinc (Vitamin C) priced at P2,250 per box sought by the City Health Office and alcohol priced at P1,500 per gallon. Gamboa stated that a box of the same Vitamin C only retails at P390, and a gallon of alcohol only costs commercially for only P599.
According to the Councillor, the four departments in question are the City Health Office, Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, the Department of Social Services and Development, and the City Engineer’s Office, all of which requested the Sagguniang Panlungsod for P113 million budget.
Gamboa further questioned unto why the city insisted on procuring vitamins as according to him, for the past week, health professionals have been requesting budget for COVID-related treatment. He also added that the government should handle mild to moderate cases in order for the city’s healthcare system to not implode, with only the hospitals in charge of critical cases.
Suggested as well was a food system to give healthy & nutritional food to the people rather than processed canned goods under the government’s assistance.
City Legal Officer & City Health Denies Claims
City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan labelled Gamboa’s claims as “simple dirty politics” and rejected suspicions of overpricing in the proposed budget for the city’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
City Health Officer Carmela Gensoli justified the price of the vitamins & alcohol, saying these prices were only a proposal as items were not yet purchased. She also added that they have to “give allowance” to ensure that there isn’t a shortage of money when procuring the items, stating the process is a lot like “bidding”
Ang gina-propose mo mataas ang price kay indi ka pa kabalo sang exact amount gid. Kon magkabos ang imo gin-propose sin-o matabon?
Carmela Gensoli, City Health Officer, explaining the bidding process and why the prices of the vitamins and alcohol were such
(What you typically propose is a higher price as you don’t know the exact amount. If our proposed amount is insufficient, who will cover for it?)
The city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod approved on final reading an ordinance appropriating P113 million for the maintenance and other operating expenses of the city’s response against COVID-19.
Images : The Visayan Daily Star, Daily Guardian
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