What’s the deal with Cebu City Hall’s health office taking the maintenance medicines away from Apas barangay health center last Friday, Nov. 25?
City Health Officer Dr. Alma Corpin denied allegations by Apas barangay chairperson Ramil Ayuman that her personnel seized the maintenance drugs for hypertension and other ailments without so much as a notice to him and his barangay health workers.
While admitting that the City Health Office had the right to take the medicines — the word Ayuman used was “confiscate” which suggested that the medicines were taken forcibly without any explanation whatsoever, though we doubt there was any confrontation or physical violence that occurred between City Health personnel and the barangay health workers.
As Dr. Corpin explained, it was more of a recall of the old inventory of medicines rather than a confiscation, though there were reports stating that the expiry period for these medicines is still three months away or February of next year.
Ayuman’s allegation that the recalled medicines may be used for the Long Life Medical Assistance program to be implemented by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña may be true, but we doubt if he and his Team Rama-allied barangay officials can do something to stop another recall of medicines from their barangay health centers.
Ayuman’s point is that it’s them and not City Hall who should assume the responsibility and the corresponding credit for distributing these medicines to their constituents.
It’s one way of making sure that they are remembered by their constituents for doing this with more than a fleeting sense of gratitude. And again, since Team Rama still has most of the barangay officials like Ayuman in its fold, every little credit helps in reinforcing voter support for next year’s barangay elections.
Not that the other camp, Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), isn’t guilty of, nor is it above engaging in, the same politicking that they do. In fact, Mayor Tomas Osmeña isn’t one to deny nor dance around it.
He’s just playing it smart by making sure that his loyalists and not Team Rama people employed as barangay health workers or volunteers are tapped to deliver the medicines straight to the city residents rather than having them travel to the barangay health center.
Ayuman may or may not be okay with being notified in advance about the recall of the maintenance medicines, and it probably wouldn’t have mattered to the City Health Office since they were only following orders from the powers that be.
Be that as it may, city residents, including those in barangay Apas, should hold barangay officials like Ayuman and City Hall accountable for any inconvenience caused by this recall of medicines.