By Mar S. Arguelles and Jorge Hallare
LEGAZPI
CITY, June 21 —- A ranking official of the Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol
said DOH has released a PHP5.95-million fund that would be used to finance the
expenses for the laboratory examinations of indigent drug dependents.
Dr.
Ernie Vera, DOH-Bicol assistant regional director, made the disclosure during
the second quarter meeting on Tuesday (June 20) of the Regional Peace and Order
Council or RPOC.
The
meeting of the RPOC, which is headed by Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal, was
attended by heads of local government units or LGUs, various government
agencies and units of the Philippine National Police.
Vera
said the PHP5.95 million fund has been released to five hospitals and treatment
rehabilitation centers or TRCs in the region.
He
said the Bicol Regional Teaching Hospital in Albay was allotted PHP500,000;
Bicol Medical Center in Naga City, Camarines Sur–PHP500,000; Bicol Sanitarium
in Camarines Sur-PHP250,000; Camarines Sur Rehabilitation Center-PHP 2.6
million; and Malinao Rehab Center-PHP2.1 million.
Vera
reported before the RPOC meeting that as of June 19, they have also referred
179 persons, deemed as “severe” users of illegal drugs, to TRCs in the region.
He
said the 179 were among the 557 in the region who were categorized as “severe”
users.
“DOH-Bicol
also has in its list 2,561 who were deemed as of moderate risk, 4,301 as mild
risk and 4,332 as low risk users of illegal drugs,” said Vera.
The
moderate risk cases are accommodated as outpatients in TRCs for four to six
months while those deemed as “mild” have to undergo community based
intervention in seminars sponsored by the local government units or LGUs for a
three-month period.
Vera
said the “severe cases” are required to submit a court order, physical
examination from a DOH-accredited physician and a psychiatrist's clearance
before their admission to any TRC.
He
added that DOH also has in its list 72 persons, whom they refer to as PWUDs or
“persons who used drugs,” 32 of whom were classified as “intensive out-patient”
while the 40 others were clustered under “residential” treatment.
Vera
said they are undergoing “interventions” at the TRC in Malinao, Albay and San
Fernando, Camarines Sur.
Both
TRCs, which have a 150-bed capacity, require a patient to spend PHP3,000
monthly or PHP18,000 for a six-month treatment period.
DOH-Bicol
records showed its health personnel have validated and assessed a total of
38,234 users of illegal drugs who had voluntarily surrendered to the police.
In
the course of the illegal drug campaign, the drug surrenderers who underwent
screening and documentation were allowed to return home. Their names, which
were compiled by the police, were turned over to their respective LGUs which
formed a core team to make the assessment and classification as to level of
drug dependency of the drug users.
Vera
told the RPOC meeting that in July it is possible to complete their assessment
of those in the severe risk category so that all those in this listing could be
admitted to TRCs.
Albay
Governor Al Francis Bichara said they have yet to start construction of a
planned treatment facility in Barangay Tula Tula in Ligao City as they are
still awaiting word from the LGU for a complete list of severe drug users from
DOH.
“We
have to know the number of patients as this will be the basis for the size of
the facility to be built,” he said.
Rosal
has earlier offered a site in Barangay Bnaquerohan in Legazpi City for an
additional TRC in the region.
During
the same RPOC meeting, Bichara submitted a resolution asking PhilHealth and the
LGUs to help the enrollment of indigent drug dependents in PhilHealth so that
their expenses in the TRCs could be defrayed by the state health insurance
fund.
The
resolution was immediately approved by the RPOC members.
