V. Mayor Labella appeals to DOH: Hold barangay distribution of meds

LABELLA

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella has appealed to the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH-7) to put on hold a current mechanism used by Mayor Tomas Osmeña in the distribution of medicines for the city’s 80 barangays.

In a letter to DOH-7 director Jaime Bernadas, Labella said that he was concerned about the distribution of medicines for noncommunicable diseases by newly assigned Barangay Health Workers (BHW) who, he claimed, had yet to be trained.

“These BHWs have just been recently assigned by the City. It is an undeniable fact that these personnel are not yet equipped with necessary training in the dispensation of medicines,” Labella said.

Under the new system, medicines from DOH-7 for hypertension and diabetes, among others, that go directly to the City Health Department (CHD) are, in turn, distributed by CHD to newly assigned BHWs instead of to Barangay Health Centers.

Labella said that the further distribution of these medicines would prove to be detrimental to the health and safety of their recipients.

“As public officials are mandated to ensure the protection of the life and health of their constituents, the undersigned writes to your good office appealing that the current mechanism be put on hold,” Labella stated in his letter to Bernadas.

To avoid disruption in the service, Labella asked DOH to restore the former system which coursed the medicines through the barangay captains who then took charge of the distribution through “trained and skilled” BHWs assigned in the health centers.

Earlier the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) complained that the free medicines were being distributed by “untrained” city hall workers.

ABC president and Tisa barangay captain Philip Zafra confirmed that the free medicines for hypertension and diabetes, provided by the DOH, no longer went through Barangay Health Centers but were instead given directly to the Barangay Mayor’s Office (BMO) where “untrained” personnel would then take charge of their distribution to constituents of the barangay.

Zafra noted that each barangay have health centers which are more capable of distributing the free medicines and can do regular check-ups for their recipients.

“Naay mga nireklamo kay dili permanente ang distribution sa free medicines. Dapat ihatod mana taga-adlaw kay every day mana ang maintenance (There are complaints that the distribution of the free medicines is not done regularly. It should be distributed every day for maintenance),” Zafra said.

The free medicines for hypertension and diabetes are part of a national government health program aimed at reducing the incidence of these ailments throughout the country.

Meanwhile, the head of the city’s health department, Dr. Alma Corpin, admitted that right after CHD receives the free medicines from DOH, these are given straight to BMOs for distribution by assigned BHWs directly to the house of their recipients.

“Naa may program si mayor nga idritso sa balay ang tambal. Ihatod gyud sa ilahang balay (The mayor has a program that these medicines should be delivered to the houses. These are given right at their doorsteps),” Corpin said.

Corpin said that those assigned to distribute the medicines had undergone training and orientation by her office.

This, she added, also came with permission from the DOH ever since the new system took place sometime in July.