P238 Million IRA to Siquijor for 2002Just like the barangays, the provincial government and its municipalities get their share of the Internal Revenue Allotment each year. The table below shows how much is appropriated to the provincial government and its six municipalities for the 2002 Calendar Year. Of the total allocation, there are guaranteed amounts to the hospitals. Since this is a yearly allocation, there is no reason why the Siquijor Provincial Hospital should not have the basic diagnostic equipment in place (X-ray & ECG for example) and replaced or upgraded every 5-10 years or so. It should not want for needles, cotton swabs, medicines, etc. One wonders why the provincial hospital lacks the basic necessities to function as a real hospital. It is inconceivable that all these monies go directly to the salaries of the hospital staff. It does not even seem like anything has been spent on building maintenance either for the structure is falling apart, the walls crying for a new coat of paint and the linoleum floors peeling off from wear. Various Siquijorian organizations based in the Philippines and abroad have voiced their concerns about the dearth of medical equipment and other necessities in the hospital. Some of them have not only opened their mouths but also their wallets donating various hospital supplies, like linens and mattresses recently donated by the Siquijorian Fellowship of Sacramento. The Greater America Siquijorian Association is looking at a fundraising project for the purpose of donating medical equipment like an ECG machine. The organization’s recent research/inquiries on costs showed that a very good ECG machine would cost around PhP72,000.00; an Istat Analyzer/Blood Gas Machine, around PhP350,000.00; and a Cardiac Reader, around PhP250,000.00, the total of which is less than a million pesos. This is just a drop in the bucket if we consider the PhP18,000,000.00 guaranteed allocation to the provincial hospital (see chart below). These types of medical equipment are the tools needed by the local medical professionals to obtain precise diagnosis in order for them to prescribe proper treatment thereby potentially saving lives. On the flip side, it will help Siquijorians save on costs associated with going to either Dumaguete or Cebu for any of the procedures associated with these types of medical equipment It is incumbent upon the Siquijorian citizenry to demand transparency in the disbursement of taxpayer’s money, especially in the area of basic health care. We need to know where and how these monies are spent and have these audits published for everybody to see. Otherwise we all would just be shaking our heads and wonder, where did all these monies go?
Source: Department of Budget & Management |
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