Unused Mt Province medical equipment

HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina P. Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Talk of government money going to waste like unused medical equipment in hospitals of this province.

A computer tomography (CT) scanner donated more than two years ago remains unused, unrecorded in the books of Bontoc General Hospital and left idle at the entrance of the Hospital.

Before it loses its usefulness by 2023, the BOGH better do something about it in order that the machine shall be of use to patients who are required to undergo (CT) scans.  

A CT scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around the body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside the body thus providing more-detailed information than plain X-rays do.

In an audit observation memorandum (AOM) dated January 20,2020 directed to Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr with attention to Provincial Accountant Theodore Marrero, Provincial Health Officer Nenita Lizardo and Chief of Hospital Dr. Raquel Kanongkong, the Commission on Audit (COA)  informed said personnel of the donated CT Scan machine that is unused, and not recorded in the books of the hospital.

With an unknown value and delivered on February 28, 2019 by personnel from St Luke’s Hospital and received by Dr Kanongkong, the CT scan machine with Philipps Brand has an indicated 13 years of functional use.

Audit team leaders Maria Matib and Nikki Awilan noted that the machine has four years and 10 months of remaining useful life since it was delivered early last year.

By end of December 2023, it will lose its useful life.

As of January this year when said AOM was sent to said concerned officers, the donated CT scan machine remain uninstalled, left idle at the entrance of the hospital and covered with galvanized iron sheets depriving patients of the enhanced medical service the hospital could have.

The COA recommended that management immediately determine the fair value of the donated CT scan for recording purposes.

In their letter to Lacwasan and the other concerned officers, Awilan and Matib relayed Kanongkong's response "the machine was not immediately installed as they have to do civil works and comply with all electrical requirements relative to the preparation of the room where it will be accommodated."

“However, the installation cannot proceed as the province has yet to take action on the proposal of Philips Philippines regarding the costs involved in the installation”, Kanongkong added.  

The proposal of Philips Philippines may cost nearly one million pesos for the installation.

Said audit team recommended the preparation of a cost benefit analysis report.

There is no annual investment plan for CY 2020 in any installation or maintenance of said CT scan equipment.

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Another equipment purchased by the provincial government here is unused for more than three years since it was bought in 2016 denying the public of its use.

This as a petition for special audit and investigation by petitioner Juniper Dominguez is underway to the Commission on Audit (COA)  alleging why the P2 million worth laparoscope was purchased with incomplete accessories and uninstalled despite having been delivered and accepted.

Dominguez further asked in his petition why there was no qualified operator at the time of the purchase, who tested the machine, who accepted the machine, and who approved the payment.

On January this year, initial findings from the audit team of the COA- Mountain Province noted the P2 million worth laparoscope left idle after more than three years from its delivery due to alleged lack of accessories.

In a letter to the audit team February this year, Dr. Kanongkong said a “laparospic surgery does not only require a trained laparospic surgeon but it requires a skilled team to do the procedure which includes a laparospic surgeon, anesthesiologist and laparospic nurses”.

“These are the factors which could have been considered first before the machine was procured”, Kanongkong said.

“The management will try to work out from other institutions with laparospic surgeons and other trained staff for the future MOA with BGH”, she added.

The provincial government inspected and accepted a laparoscope in December 2016 among other hospital equipment. 

The machine is supposed to be used for intra-abdominal surgeries at the Bontoc General Hospital.

It was known from the Audit team’s inquiries that Provincial Health Officer Dr Nenita Lizardo claimed “that due to budgetary constraints, necessary accessories for the laparoscope were not included in the purchase made in 2016 but will be procured in 2017. However, specification for the required parts could not be determined because the manual of the machine is missing.” 

Management then allotted P300,000 in its supplemental budget in 2017 for the procurement of needed accessories following parchase request from Lizardo.

COA noted however that Dr. Kanongkong requested for the “realignment of the said amount  (P300,000) for other purposes because the amount is not enough since the accessories would cost more than P3 million.”

The COA recommended that “Management take immediate action to make the laparoscope functional; and considering benchmarking with other hospitals who are successfully using such equipment in its surgeries.”

“It is imperative that concrete action be made on its functionality since non-action has already resulted to loss of opportunity”, the audit team noted.

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More on the matter. An X-ray machine costing P3.77 million and purchased by the provincial government here is unused for five years since it was delivered at Bontoc General Hospital in December 2015.

In a letter dated February 10, 2020 to team leaders Maria Matib and Nikki Awilan of the COA, Dr. Kanongkong said the necessary wirings for the installation of said X-ray machine has already been requested.  

Team leaders Matib and Awilan of the COA found out December 2019 that said X-ray machine was uninstalled and unutilized .

Said audit team recommended management expedite the allocation for the electrical wirings needed in the installation of the said machine.Inquiry by the audit team noted that the purchased X-ray machine lacked electrical wirings for its installation. Said purchased machine was supposedly used as a back-up for the existing X-ray machine.

“Since the existing X-ray machine has already exceeded its useful life and requires costly maintenance, the installation of the new X-ray might be more efficient for the Hospital’s operations.  Moreover, hospital staff will be able to service clients faster during emergency cases with the use of two extra machines instead of only one”, the Audit Team noted.  

Kanongkong who assumed office in October 2017 said she presumed equipment at the hospital were operational as these were already accepted and delivered.

The COA audit team in an audit observation memorandum (AOM) dated January 20,2020 directed to Gov. Lacwasan noted that the sales invoice included the installation of the X-ray machine.

Lacwasan assumed as provincial governor in July 2016.

Said team found out that purchaser made constant follow up for the machine’s installation.  

As of press time, it was learned that the purchaser was not able to install said X-ray machine having been overtaken by restrictions of the Covid pandemic since March 2020.