DOH asked to use own budget pending Dengvaxia fund release

- Since the Senate failed to pass the supplemental fund for Dengvaxia recipients before it went on recess, Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles urged the Department of Health (DOH) to temporarily use its own budget to assist Denvaxia recipients.

"The DOH can use the funds that they have in the medical assistance program under their 2018 budget to pay for the hospitalization and medical needs of the victims," said Nograles, chairman of the House appropriations committee.

"The DOH should do everything to assist the dengvaxia victims even as we await the approval of the supplemental budget," he added.

The Senate failed to approve on third reading the P1.16-billion Supplemental Budget for the 900,000 Dengvaxia recipi- ents before it adjourned before dawn Thursday, May 31.

Nograles said that while he was sad that unforeseen circumstances led to the failure of the Senate to approve the budget, it is imperative that the government should continue providing assistance to the victims of Dengvaxia.

Last Tuesday, the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 7449 which seeks to allocate P1.16 billion in additional funds for the DOH to assist victims of the Dengvaxia vaccine.

"Even with the failure of the Senate to approve the (supplemental) budget, I'm still very thankful that at least in the House, we saw the minority bloc, the independent bloc, the Makabayan bloc and all of us in the majority working together and voting as one

in favor of the supplemental budget to come to the aid of all Dengvaxia vacinees," said Nograles.

The anti-dengue vaccination program was launched in 2016, but was suspended in December 2017 shortly after Dengvaxia maker Sanofi Pasteur