Ping scores ‘greed-over-conscience’ mentality in ambulance overprice issue

Sen. Panfilo Lacson scored Saturday the “greed-over-conscience” mentality behind the overpricing of ambulances procured by the Department of Health (DOH).

Lacson also revealed some of the ambulances were delivered minus medical equipment and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) included in the purchase price.

“May taong hindi na makapamili kung katakawan ba o konsensya. They choose greed over conscience, mahirap naman yan, ititigil natin dahil may nananawagan Presidente man o hindi, maraming natutuklasan,” he said in an interview on DWIZ radio.

He said he will take up the matter on Sept. 7 when the Senate Blue Ribbon committee resumes its investigation of irregularities hounding the DOH.

Citing the information reaching him, Lacson said the DOH bought the ambulances for at least P2.5 million each to include an AED, but at least some of the ambulances it distributed to the CALABARZON area were without the AEDs.

He said the DOH bought the ambulances based on Nissan cargo vans at a cost of P2.5 million each. The price included medical equipment and AED at P2.5 million per unit. At least 98 such ambulances had been distributed to CALABARZON.

One LGU learned of the price difference after it received three DOH ambulances and planned to expand its fleet to five using its own funds.

“Sila na-shock ang laki ng difference. Gnaya nila exactly ano laman sa DOH ganoon din laman loob sa kanila,” Lacson said.

He added he was disappointed that the DOH bought the ambulances using funds of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), to which he made an institutional amendment of P8.681 billion in the 2021 budget and P1 billion in the 2020 budget.

“Kaya masama loob ko, parang naging kasangkapan pa ako, ako nag-realign, may kumita pa pala. So nakakasama ng loob,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lacson said he will follow up with DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III’s promise to investigate the overstocking of expired and near-expire medicines by the DOH.

“Anong nangyari sa investigation sa overstocking at expired at nearing expiry na gamot na umabot sa P2.7 billion at noong 2019 umabot ng P2.2 billion?” he said.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)