DBM: Department of Health can use reimbursed P1.16-billion Dengvaxia fund

MANILA, Philippines — Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno has agreed to release the P1.16 billion returned by Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur for procurement of anti-dengue kits, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

According to DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III, he spoke with Diokno and the latter agreed in principle that the DOH could use the funds.

“I’ve already talked with Secretary Diokno and he agreed. I also proposed that the procurement of the kits be done by the DBM, instead of the DOH,” he told reporters after visiting the Dengue Fast Lanes at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center and East Avenue Memorial Medical Center, both in Quezon City. 

The DOH estimates that some P324 million will be needed to buy dengue kits for over 837,000 public school children vaccinated with Dengvaxia. Each kit contains a digital thermometer, insect repellant and multi-vitamins.

Duque said the DOH Central Office would focus on monitoring, surveillance, patient care and referral, adding that the department will seek congressional approval for the disbursement.

“They say the funds can be released directly to us, but we don’t want that. I just want to make sure that we’re covered so we are getting congressional imprimatur or approval on fund transfer and disbursement,” he said.

Meanwhile, a major revamp at the top leadership of the DOH will take place this week and it will affect even those not implicated in the Dengvaxia controversy.

According to Duque, the re-organization will cover undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, directors and program managers, regardless if they had a role in the decision to use Dengvaxia or not.

“I am signing the administrative order and department personnel order to effect the assignments of our senior officials, whether they were implicated in the cases filed in the different investigating bodies or not,” he said in a press briefing at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City.

He noted that the re-shuffle of those not involved is based on “my vision, based on the new administration’s vision of boosting the universal health care by Formula One Plus (F1 Plus) for health structure.”

A flagship program of the DOH, F1 Plus is a strategy for implementing reforms at the DOH and its attached agencies. 

But Duque refused to comment on the investigations conducted by various agencies against former and current officials over Dengvaxia.

“We leave it to the investigating  bodies. It’s their job, it’s their mandate to investigate and ferret out the truth pertaining to the Dengvaxia controversy,” he added.

At the Commission on Elections (Comelec), a case of electioneering was filed against former president Benigno Aquino III and former secretaries Florencio Abad of the Department of Budget and Management and Janette Garin of DOH by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption.

The group accused the three of violating campaign rules when they launched the vaccination program shortly before the May 2016 elections.  

The Comelec’s law department has subpoenaed the three to attend a preliminary hearing on March 15. 

The poll body also ordered several DOH officials who are facing similar complaints to attend a hearing set on March 9.