By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
COUNCILOR George Goking over the weekend warned that the city council could declare officials of the health department here personae non gratae if they continue to disregard invitations from the city’s legislature.
Goking said this after no official of the Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), and the local pharmacy association showed up during a meeting of a city council committee meeting that started an investigation into a complaint on the exorbitant prices of medicines in some hospitals here.
Goking, chairman of the investigating trade and commerce committee, called the no-show last week a “snub.”
“Basin nakaminos sila sa akong committee, mao nang wala sila motunga,” an irked Goking said.
He said the committee’s secretariat has stated that copies of the formal invitation were received by the DOH regional office, FDA, and the association of pharmacies here.
“Nadawat man pero wala lang gyud sila magpadala ug katin-awan, ngano nga wala sila makatunga,” Goking said.
The trade and commerce committee started looking into the prices of medicines being sold in hospital pharmacies after it received a complaint from lawyer Jose Edgardo Uy, chairman of the city’s Regulatory and Complaint Board and co-chairman of the City Price Coordinating Council.
“Wala man kita mag-akusar kanila, mangutana man lang unta ‘ta nila,” Goking said.
He said the committee also wants to find out why many senior citizens have been complaining about not getting discounts from some pharmacies in the city.
“Na-a pay nga tambal nga piki kay harina ra ang sulod. Mas maayo unta nga nataga-an kana nila sa katin-awan,” Goking said.
Councilor Edna Dahino said the city council has summoned officials of the DOH, FDA and the local pharmacy association to its regular session as a result of their no-show during last week’s committee meeting.
Goking threatened to have the officials declared personae non gratae if they do not show up during the city council session.
“Magpasa ko’g resolution to declare them personae non gratae,” he said.
He was also quoted in a City Information Office press release as saying that “if they don’t show up, we will address this to (Health Secretary Francisco Duque). And if they still fail to show up (at the council), we will then address it to the President and Sen. Bong Go.”
Meanwhile, Goking expressed dismay over the DOH’s initial response to a letter sent by Uy. In the letter, Uy asked the DOH to do something about the exorbitant prices of medicines being sold in some private hospitals here.
Goking said the DOK replied to Uy’s letter but the response was “passive.”
“Sa akong pagsabot sa tubag sa DOH sa complaint... morag walay ilang interest nga mag-conduct sa fact-finding aron pagtubag sa complant request ni Atty. Uy,” he said.
Uy complained that the medicines he bought for his ailing wife at a hospital she was confined in were priced 30 to 40 percent higher than those sold outside the hospital. Uy’s wife died a day after New Year’s Day.
“Even if I didn’t present any evidence, I asked them to conduct a fact-finding investigation... what irked me is that their (DOH) reply that they have no authority to control the prices of medicines (in the private sector). How passive can the DOH be?” Uy told the committee.
Councilor Dahino said patients should be given options to buy cheaper medicines at their convenience, City Director Jane Docallos of the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) said Uy’s case is a lesson and an unfortunate “eye-opener” on how some would exploit the medical needs of others for their profit.
Antonio Resma Jr. of the City Legal Office and City Price Coordinating Council questioned who’s in charge of regulating pharmacies while acting director Concordia Acosta of the Department of Trade and Industry provincial office said it is the FDA that is tasked to monitor and take action on the pricing of medicines. (with reports from Stephen Capillas, CIO)
