DOH denies 'double payment’ to PS-DBM
The Department of Health (DOH) said that there were no "double payments" to the procurement service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the purchase of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.
"In response to the allegations that the Department of Health paid the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management twice for the same set of personal protective equipment (PPEs), the DOH clarified that there were no double payments to PS-DBM," the DOH said in a statement on Wednesday, Sept. 8.
The DOH said that it needed to purchase "full sets of PPEs in bulk" and "order loose surgical masks and face shields separately to protect healthcare workers in both high and low-risk settings."
It explained that the PS-DBM has a virtual store, similar to online shopping platforms. This contains "common-use supplies and equipment, like PPEs"---which are available for the purchase of national government agencies and local government units.
"The DOH scanned the PS-DBM virtual store and purchased loose face shields and surgical masks, which were readily available, to immediately augment PPE supplies for healthcare workers in low-risk settings," the Health department said.
"As for the bulk PPE sets, these had to be ordered and took more time to be delivered. The PPE sets include nine components such as coverall suits, gloves, N95 mask, head cover, shoe cover, surgical mask, surgical gown, apron, and face shield," it added.
The Health department maintained that "these are separate transactions and all orders were completely turned over to the Department."
The procure PPEs were given free of charge to healthcare workers in public and private hospitals and other health facilities, the Bureau of Quarantine, and Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Units to ensure their safety, the DOH said.
The Senate is currently conducting a probe on how the DOH is handling its funds for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response after it was recently flagged by the Commission on Audit.