Maintenance meds for Dabawenyos now back in stock

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / September 2) —An official of the City Health Office (CHO) said hypertension and diabetes medicines are now back in stock after being unavailable for the past six months.

The City Health Office of Davao. Photo from the website of the city government of Davao

In an interview with MindaNews, Shiela May B. Cayonda, head of CHO’s procurement management unit, said they received the partial supplies last August 26.

Supplies of the medications for hypertension and diabetes had ran out since February of this year, according to CHO pharmacy unit head Gemma B. Pujanes in an interview last August 22.

Pujanes said the partial supply of hypertension medicines number 18,324 boxes while there are 595 boxes for diabetes. The CHO also received 530 insulin vials.

Cayonda said those who have already registered in the health centers are the priority for the medicines. She said the medicines are for free as long as they have a valid medical prescription for both conditions. She added they will provide the medicines for as long as the current supplies last.

At present, the medical supplies are being inspected by the CHO assistant health officer for operation Dr. Margie R. Rubio before these are distributed to the 18 health centers of the city.

The CHO announced that they will be able to begin dispensing the medicines for hypertension and diabetes within this month.

Pujanes had earlier referred patients to the city’s “Lingap Para sa Mahirap” program so that they can get their medications at the accredited pharmacies while these are still unavailable at the CHO.

The city’s Lingap program can cater up to 3,000 pesos worth of medications per patient, she said.

This is not the first time these medicines ran out at the CHO, a concern, Cayonda said, that they already raised to the CHO administration.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) bared that as of 2020, there are 138,030 sixty-year-olds in the city, a sizable portion of whom rely on the CHO to provide free medicines.

In a press release by the Department of Health (DOH) region XI last February 18, 2,407 deaths were caused by hypertensive diseases, and a total of 20,819 hypertensive diseases were reported throughout 2022.

In the entire Davao Region, 1,923 died in 2020 due to diabetes mellitus, according to data by PSA region XI. (Razl EJ Teman)