The Commission on Audit (COA) has scored the Department of Health (DOH) for its “recurring problem” that results in “indiscriminate wastage of government funds and resources,” this time involving P95.15 million worth of medicines and medical supplies.
State auditors discovered that the P95.15 million covered P6.6 million in expired drugs and medicines, P69 million in overstocked or slow-moving drugs, and near-expired drugs and medicines amounting to P20 million.
“Despite our observations and recommendations in previous years, it was found that various drugs, medicines and other types of inventories are nearly expired or had expired in DOH warehouses and operating units,” the COA said.
“While it cannot be denied that there are a lot of Filipinos in need of drugs and medicines, especially in the countryside, millions-worth of DOH inventories were allowed to expire, thereby constituting indiscriminate wastage of government funds/resources,” the COA said.
State auditors said their findings showed such were proof of “excessive spending” by DOH.
COA recently scored the DOH for over deficiencies and irregularities involving P67 billion worth of funds programmed for the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the DOH to address the findings of the COA.
