City-run hospital has unstable budget

THE city-run JR Borja General Hospital hasn’t had a stable budget in recent years, its appropriations rising and falling to resemble that of an erratic curve.

In 2006, the city hospital enjoyed its biggest budget in six years — P123 million — but this amount would dramatically be reduced to around P60 million the following year, or a cut of over P62 million.

On its face, the hospital’s general budget cycle — not counting the exceptional downward spiral in 2007 — has seen a steady growth, rising from over P56 million in 2004 to around P70 million in 2005. From 2007, the funding climbed to over P78 million in 2008, increasing to P83 million this year.

But these increases have largely been driven by inflation and the local government’s administrative obligations to the hospital personnel.

Funds allocated for medicines and life-saving apparatus — lumped under the maintenance, overhead, and operating expense (MOEE) — have remained disproportionate to Cagayan de Oro’s population over the years, and followed the erratic pattern in the general budget.

For example, the MOOE in 2005 saw an increase of over half the amount compared to the previous year — at around P24 million. This amount would only grow by P2 million in 2006, and dropping by a whooping P6.9 million in the succeeding year.

In 2008, the MOEE would again rise to P13 million, or an appropriation of over P32 million.

The additional money for MOEE this year? A meager P215,353.

Specifically, a budget of P4.6 million out of the P32.9 million MOOE for 2009 is allocated for medicines, patient’s subsistence, and medical supplies such as X-ray films, medical oxygen, and nitrogen oxide.

As of August 1, 2007, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) placed the city’s total population at 553,966.

What that means is that at any one time, the local government only sets aside a miniscule P8.30 on medicines and other life-saving apparatus for any patient admitted to the city-run hospital.

To compare, the P123 million budget in 2006 allocated around P23.4 million for medicines and medical supplies.

Noticeably, however, bulk of that budget went to the construction of an additional building amounting to P50 million. The rest was appropriated to hospital equipment such as one unit of operating room table that cost P1.3 million, five units of fire extinguisher that cost P79,550, a unit of ultrasound machine at P4 million, two computer sets at P120,000, a unit of anesthesia machine at P2.3 million, and two ECG machines at P300,000.

Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro’s analysis of the budget is based on the approved appropriations in the last six years obtained by this paper.

The hospital’s budget has come under scrutiny after several doctors resigned lately, complaining of low pay and poor working conditions. They also lamented the lack of crucial life-saving devices at the hospital, which they said has contributed to its deteriorating services.

Corruption has also tainted the management of the hospital.

In 2007, several employees accused the then hospital chief, Dr. Jerie Calingasan, of graft and corruption. A graft case against Dr. Calingasan is pending at the Ombudsman.

Calingasan, who was stripped of his position at the hospital and reassigned back to the City Health Office, has denied the allegation.

Aided by their lawyer, Manuel Ravanera, the employees alleged that Calingasan made “emergency purchases” that were not actually “emergency” in character. Among the hospital “purchases” was a repair of a Toyota Tamaraw FX and a Kia Besta Ambulance, which amounted to P131,200. Calingasan reimbursed the amount because it supposedly came from his pocket.

There were also purchases of hospital supplies, among others, eight kilos of detergent powder at a price of P11,500.00 or an amount of P1,437.50 per kilo.

In 2006 and 2007, Calingasan was reimbursed the amount P855,939 purportedly due to the “advances” he made to the hospital.

During that period, the complainants alleged that the hospital purchased an overpriced X-ray machine, which cost P6.5 million but supposedly had an actual market price of P3 million. A surgical table that is unbranded and costing P400,000 allegedly purchased at P1.2 million.

These and other irregular transactions were approved by then mayor Vicente Emano, the complaint said.

Last year, a state auditor said in a report that P15 million worth of drugs and medicines at the city-run hospital cannot be accounted.