Poor families in Siquijor, Tawi-tawi will get free generic drugs

Saturday, September 10, 2011
POOR families in Siquijor, Tawi-tawi, Oriental Mindoro, and Surigao del Norte who benefit from a government cash program are also set to receive free generic medicines from the Department of Health (DOH) within the month.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona announced this during a speech he delivered at the second Generics Summit in Eastwood City on Wednesday.
Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.
The package, called the DOH’s Complete Treatment Pack Program (DOH ComPack), will contain tablets and capsules for diabetes, hypertension, diarrhea, pneumonia, and other common infections.
The package will be good for a month, Ona said, adding that some P200 million has already been allotted for the program.
Beneficiaries of free medicine are poor families receiving financial assistance from the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, he said.
“This is a free drug access program targeting the poor — no buying, no selling but an outright subsidy to our indigents,” said Ona last Wednesday.
The distribution of the medicine packages is the government’s way of promoting the need to fight “non-communicable diseases”.
“As a clinician, I understand and have seen the poverty impacts of non-communicable diseases and how treatment costs are simply unaffordable and unbearable to many of our patients,” said Ona.
Under the CCT program, poor families identified by the DSWD are set to receive P1,400 monthly allowance as long as they keep their kids in school and comply with other conditions.
However, beneficiaries are required to consult with local health units before they can claim their medicine packages.
“They must first go to our health centers, get themselves checked and adhere to the treatment prescribed by the doctor,” said Ona. (AMN/Sunnex)
www.sunstar.com.ph