Senator Sonny Angara calls on the Department of Health (DOH) to explain the overstocking of close to P20 billion worth of drugs and medicine in its warehouses.
Angara, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the overstocking. Angara said health officials who will face the panel “should be ready with a plan on how to end this problem.”
“And to think, many Filipinos for lack of money can’t buy medicine or are undermedicating themselves. And then they read reports about drugs in some government warehouses going to waste,” Angara said.
A Commission on Audit annual report for 2018 says that over P18 billion worth of drugs and medicine were stocked up inside its warehouses, and over P300 million worth of which are nearing their expiry dates.
About P30 million worth of drugs and medicine delivered to health facilities nationwide were already expired.
