IBINUNYAG ni Senadora Risa Hontiveros na dumoble ang antas ng mga naaksayang bakuna.
Sa naging pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Health, sinabi ni Hontiveros na tumalon sa 8.42% ang wastage rate ng mga bakuna nitong Agosto mula sa 4.7% lamang noong Hunyo.
Aniya, nasa 20.7 M na bakuna ang nasayang na nagkakahalaga ng P10.33B sa halagang P500 kada bakuna.
“At this rate, by October, lampas na tayo sa threshold ng WHO. We might have accumulated vaccines faster than we could administer them. Nakakapanghinayang na parang patapon ang paggasta ng bilyong piso para dito,” ani Hontiveros.
Una rito, sinabi ni Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire na mas mababa sa 10% standard ng World Health Organization (WHO) ang mga bakunang naaksaya.
“Our vaccine program is leaking billions of pesos, both of which we sorely need for reopening our economy. Figuring out what is driving the vaccine wastage should be top priority,” dagdag ni Hontiveros.
“Sa ngayon, lumalabas na mas mababa ang mga threshold sa acceptable wastage level ng WHO. But billions are still billions. Kaya dapat transparent at detalyado ang reports ng mga nai-deliver na supply,” aniya.
Sinabi rin ni Hontiveros na kailangang ilahad ng DOH ang kanilang mga plano para mapabilis ang pagbabakuna lalo pa’t mataas ang vaccine wastage nito.
Binigyang-diin niya na 72 milyon lamang ang ganap na nabakunahan noong Mayo kumpara sa target nito na 90 milyon.
“The current supply should already be enough to meet the 90 million goal without wastage. If we waste a significant amount more of vaccines, we will have to spend billions more again,” sabi ng enadora.
“Hopefully the Committee on Health will continue to hear this matter, especially since our public health officials are asking Congress to amend and update certain provisions of RA 11525, our National Vaccination Program. The budget continues to leak as we speak,” dagdag pa nito.
Iginiit ni Hontiveros na dapat lumikha ang DOH ng mga mekanismo para sa transparency, “Ilan sa mga nasayang na ito ang nasa kamay ng DOH, LGU at private sectors? What are the drivers of vaccine wastage? Most importantly, who is responsible? I want clearer distinctions among authority, responsibility, and accountability of public and private sectors from acquisition to administration,”aniya.
“Government is in need of funds to battle the different crises our country is facing, not a single peso of taxpayers’ money should be wasted. Before we even consider tax administration reforms, the government should safeguard and efficiently utilize the budget appropriated to them at all times,” pagtatapos ni Hontiveros. VICKY CERVALES