Rama to check CCMC prices

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama assured that he will look into the report that the prices of the drugs and medicines that are used or sold at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) pharmacy are being jacked up by 10 per cent than the normal price of the suppliers.

“Ato kana nga tan-awon kay daghan intawon nga mga pobre nga maa-pektahan kon maadmit sila diha sa CCMC,” the mayor told The FREEMAN yesterday. (Let’s check that because it affects the indigent families.)

When Rama learned about it he immediately inquired from CCMC Director Gloria Duterte who explained to him that the practice of adding to the prices of drugs and medicines is also being practiced in other government hospitals.

In last Tuesday’s budget hearing at the Cebu City Council where Duterte was invited to defend her proposed P366 million hospital budget next year, she explained that they want to earn more that is why they added 10 percent to the prices.

Some of the city legislators said CCMC should not add to the prices of drugs and medicines because the medical facility was not created to earn but to serve the public.

This could be the reason the City Council may not grant the CCMC’s proposal to allocate P80 million for drugs and medicines this year, which is doubled from this year’s P40 million budget.

According to the mayor, he will call a meeting with Duterte and other City Hall officials to discuss the issue.

Another issue that will be discussed during the meeting is Duterte’s problem wherein she cannot purchase drugs and medicines for the CCMC during the first months of the year even if the annual budget is already approved.

She said that when the CCMC supply officers requested to purchase drugs and medicines last January and February, they were told by the personnel of the City Treasurer’s Office that the request cannot be processed yet because there is no funds for it.

The city legislators were dismayed when they learned that the first purchase of drugs and medicines was only done last July, while the second and third purchases were delivered last October. — (FREEMAN)