Free meds to get budget boost

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Long Life Medical Assistance Program is pushing a budget next year that is almost three times bigger than its current allocation due to the soaring prices of medicines.

LLMAP head Roseline Verano has proposed P150 million budget in 2019. The amount is almost triple of the P55 million this year.

Verano explained during the budget hearing that the prices of medicines have increased up to 400 percent. She said this is one of the reasons why her office failed to deliver the medicines every day from January to August.

“This year, naputol ang hatag because of funds. No money and not ordered in time ang mga medicines. Next year, we plan to expand the program and add the 10,000 in the waiting list,” Verano said.

Verano gave the City Council a list of medicines that it will purchase for the beneficiaries with the corresponding increase in prices.

The city will dispense 31,693 pieces of B. Complex every day. She said it used to be P1.24 each but is now sold at P2.18. Losartan 50mg (11,908 pcs) from P1.25 to P6.90; 4,689 pieces of 100mg Losartan at P2.30 to P9.48; 968 pcs of Losartan HCTZ 50mg at P3.94 to P6.78; 2,717 pcs of Metorpolol 50 mg P.088 to P2.20; 4,313 pcs of Amlodipine 5mg at P.44 to P4.88; and 8,184 pcs of Amlodipine 50mg from P.58 to P8.64, among others.

From 45,000 beneficiaries every day, Verano said the office planned to expand it to 55,000 beneficiaries next year.

However, City Councilor Margarita Osmeña said the office should not think of expanding the program just to expand it without taking into account the inefficient distribution of free medicines every day.

“Why expand when we can’t do it every day? Just keep it at 45,000 or 50,000. Don’t expand just to expand coz we’re not giving it every day,” she said.

Verano agreed saying that the most number of dispenses every day is B. Complex which is not a medicine. Osmeña said that B. Complex is not a maintenance drug but it is part of the city’s program.

LLMAP’s proposed P150 million for the free medicines program is part of the proposed budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Services amounting to P615.3 million.

Other items in DSWS’s budget is the P175 million for the City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicine Program (CHAMP), P10 million for the drugs and medicines CHAMP, P79 million for the financial assistance of persons with disabilities, P59 million for job order of LLMAP, P44 million for day care program, among others. (FREEMAN)