FUNDS FOR DISTRICT HOSPITALS SHOULD BE DEVOLVED

Once he becomes President, Senator Panfilo Lacson wants funds for district hospitals devolved to local government units (LGUs).

Lacson said this change becomes more important as the country deals with the pandemic and its prolonged effect to the nation’s health. 

“This is a concern expressed to me in my consultations with LGU heads and health officials. Lalo na ngayong tumataas ang kaso ng Covid sa probinsya,” he stressed.

The presidential candidate said money for district hospitals are appropriated thru the Department of Health’s (DOH) Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) but are often trapped by the inefficiencies of the agency.

“District hospitals are unmanned as there are no facilities because the DOH is sometimes slow in downloading or procuring equipment for district hospitals. You have district hospitals that are incapable of providing service to those in need," Lacson said.

Lacson believes LGUs are in a better position to assess their urgent health needs. If they are given the capacity to procure facilities for district and even provincial hospital, they can deal with their health concerns faster and better. 

“For the 2022 budget, we should itemize and even earmark funds for the HFEP and even personnel that will man the district hospitals. Funds are needed especially in the poorer provinces," he emphasized.

Lacson, who has championed the downloading of funds to the LGUs for their development projects, maintains that this will also address the DOH's ballooning unused appropriations.

"Ang nangyayari ngayon, ang laki ng unused appropriation sa DOH (What is happening now is that the DOH has a huge unused appropriation)," he said.(PR/ via Eva Mustaril)