Idle, unutilized medical eqpt in Masbate flagged
The local government unit procured it to enhance healthcare services, improve diagnostic capabilities, and provide better patient care to the people of Masbate.
Various medical equipment, including 20 units of hospital beds, procured by Masbate province, supposedly part of their free healthcare services to their constituents, remains idle and unutilized as of February 2024, the Commission on Audit (CoA) has found.
The 2023 audit report showed that several medical equipment were purchased in 2022 and 2023, charged against the loan proceeds from the Development Bank of the Philippines and the 20 percent Development Fund of Masbate. The equipment includes 20 units each of hospital beds and patients monitor with central monitoring system, four sets of operating room package, one unit each of ultrasound and hydrosurgery machines, among others, supposedly for diagnostics, treatment, and monitoring of the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
The local government unit procured it to enhance healthcare services, improve diagnostic capabilities, and provide better patient care to the people of Masbate.
The PHO is mandated to provide comprehensive healthcare services to the residents of the province, which includes medical treatment, emergency care, surgeries, diagnostics, and other essential healthcare services.
However, an ocular inspection by the audit team on 3 February of this year revealed that while the improvement of the PHO building was substantially completed, it is still not operational, and some medical equipment was unutilized and idle.
State auditors warned that this condition violated Section 2 of Presidential Decree No. 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, mandating that all government resources shall be expended in accordance with law, safeguarded against loss or wastage, with a view to ensuring effectiveness in the operations of government.