The free medicines for hypertension and diabetes were included as part of the national government’s program to reduce the incidence of these ailments throughout the country.
In a dialogue with DOH regional officials, the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) complained that the medicines were given to “untrained” personnel assigned to the Barangay Mayor’s Office of Mayor Tomas Osmeña who then distributed them to barangays that were deemed as allies of the mayor’s Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).
Among those who complained were Apas Barangay Chairman Ramil Ayuman and ABC President and Councilor Philip Zafra, both of Team Rama — or in this case, PDP-Laban, since they have by now joined the administration party upon the invitation of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez but are still opposed politically to Mayor Osmeña.
Zafra and Ayuman had a point when they said that untrained personnel could give the wrong dosage to beneficiaries, and they cited one incident in which a city beneficiary was rushed to the hospital after receiving excess dosage from one of the BMO personnel.
Due to the October barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, it’s understandable why both local parties are lobbying and jockeying for public attention and voter support, and activities such as the distribution of cash aid and free medicines are integral to achieving this goal.
We understand that some councilors have been designated as deputy mayors by Osmeña to maximize his administration’s efforts to court voter support and serve as his alter ego in areas dominated by his political rivals.
That said, while there are barangay health centers all over Cebu City, and Osmeña ordered a revamp of barangay health workers to hire only those loyal to his administration, it’s best that the distribution of free medicines be confined exclusively to City Hall health office and DOH personnel in coordination with barangay health workers.
In fact, it would be better to channel all distribution of cash, medicine and material assistance to social workers, concerned government agencies and career service government employees in City Hall, municipal hall and the Capitol with minimal involvement from elected public officials.
That way, the Osmeña administration, the Team Rama bloc and other officials affiliated with any local party won’t be able to score political brownie points.
When basic services such as free medicines and medical services, cash aid and the like are being politicized, the beneficiaries suffer.