INTERNATIONAL ENVI-HEALTH GROUP TO DBM: 100M AUTOCLAVE BUDGET CRUCIAL TO POSSIBLE H1N1 OUTBREAK

May 7, 2009

INTERNATIONAL ENVI-HEALTH GROUP TO DBM: 100M AUTOCLAVE BUDGET CRUCIAL TO POSSIBLE H1N1 OUTBREAK

Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today called on Budget and Management Secretary Rolando Andaya, Jr. to facilitate the immediate release of the 100 million allocation for a medical waste treatment autoclaves for the hospitals run by the Department of Health (DoH) saying the unreleased budget is an “Achilles’ heel in the country’s strategy against Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak”.

The P100 million in the budget of DoH for the purchase of autoclaves for medical waste treatment in DoH-controlled hospitals falls under the 2008 General Appropriations Act (Republic Act 9498).

“We are deeply concerned that the second quarter of 2009 is almost over and yet the fund has still to be released by the Department of Budget and Management,” said Merci Ferrer, Executive Director of HCWH-SEA.

In a letter sent to Andaya, the group raised concerns that despite having done many precautionary steps in the prevention of a possible outbreak in the country, management of infectious waste remains a largely unaddressed aspect especially when it comes to hospitals in the provinces.

“How,” the letter asks, “do we dispose of the potentially infectious waste that is generated by the hospitals’ health care activities, waste that in the event of a flu outbreak could be contaminated by the virus?”

They added that in the absence of the autoclave which will be used in disinfecting waste discarded by hospitals, “people can potentially be exposed to pathogens like H1N1 and get infected. Especially since a large part of the country’s medical waste ends up in dumpsites that remain open to scavengers, despite laws and regulations to the contrary,” Ferrer said.

In a letter sent to a newspaper by DBM Undersecretary Mario L. Relampagos, he assured the public that “the funds for the procurement of autoclaves will be immediately released as soon as the department receives the go-signal from the Office of the President.”

Relampagos added that the procurement of autoclaves, a Congressional initiative incorporated in the 2008 budget of the DoH, has to undergo the usual standard operating procedures—request for release from the proponent legislator, endorsements from the Speaker of the House and chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, and approval of the Office of the President—before it can be released.

He added that the department prepared the appropriate referral upon receiving the request this March to the DoH for endorsement to the president.

Ferrer responded however, saying that, “we understand that the release of the budget would have to undergo the necessary procedures. But we also know that a most expeditious way to secure the president’s approval may be done, especially in the midst of an imminent pandemic that could cost many lives.”

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is a global coalition of more than 400 organizations in more than 50 countries working to protect health by reducing pollution in health care sector. For more information, visit www.noharm.org. (30)

Sonia G. Astudillo, Communications Officer, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Ronnel Lim, Program Officer for Anti-Incineration, ronnel@gmail.com