‘Meds taken out for inventory’

Cebu City Medical Center administrator Kenneth Siasar clarifies that the pull-out of medicines in villages was for inventory, redistribution to barangays most in need Earlier, Apas Barangay Captain Ayuman asked the CHD to return the medicines for hypertension, diabetes to his barangay

THE order to pull out 4,680 maintenance medicines in Barangay Apas in Cebu City is not an act of confiscation, but part of an inventory.

This was the clarification made by Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) hospital administrator Kenneth Siasar after Apas Village Chief Ramil Ayuman last Saturday demanded that the City Health Department (CHD) return the medicines for hypertension and diabetes it allegedly confiscated from the local health center.

“There was never a confiscation. Actually, with the year ending, CHD must conduct an inventory. There are some barangays whose medicines from (Department of Health) DOH 7 have run out, while there are others who have more than the list of their patients. We’re also checking the expiration dates so that we can equally redistribute it to the barangays who are in need of the medicines,” he said in an interview yesterday.

Siasar, a nurse, has been tasked by Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos to oversee matters concerning CHD.

Delos Santos has been appointed as deputy mayor for health by Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Expiry

Siasar explained that for Apas alone, about 1,000 medicines are scheduled to expire by February, since they only have 100 patients, they will redistribute the excess to other barangays who are in need of the medication.

“We’re actually coordinating with the doctors and nurses in the local health center. Nothing was confiscated and no barangay was deprived of medicines. CHD is collating all the medicines in the barangays, not just in Apas,” he said.

Aside from the redistribution, the CHD will also hand out additional maintenance medicines that are not yet included in the barangays’ allocation.

“We found that Apas is in need of Losartan. All they have is Metformin, Amlodipine and Metoprolol. We’ll give them what they need,” Siasar said.

Metformin is the first-line medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, while Amlopidine, Metroprolol and Losartan are used to treat high blood pressure.

During a meeting yesterday, Siasar lamented that several speculations on the mayor confiscating the medicines to use them for his Lifelong Medical Assistance Program were raised.

Suspicion

In an interview last Saturday, Ayuman raised the same suspicion following the pull-out of the maintenance medicines from his barangay.

He said the medicines were given by DOH to the barangay under a medical assistance grant, which started last July.

Siasar, however, denied the allegation, saying that the speculations are “tainted” with political motives.

With 23,400 beneficiaries, Osmeña said he intends to have the country’s lowest mortality rate through Operation Lifelong, which provides residents in the city free maintenance medicines right at their doorsteps.