The Department of Health (DOH) today lauds the recent approval of the proposed budget of P1.16 billion medical funds intended for Dengvaxia recipients by the House Committee on Appropriations. This amount was successfully refunded by the DOH from Sanofi Pasteur from the unused Dengvaxia vials.
The use of the said fund is broken into the following: 81% will be for medical assistance program of dengvaxia-vaccinees, 13% will be for public health management, and 6% for human resource for health development.
The Health Assistance Fund, amounting to more than P900 million pesos, is intended for Dengvaxia recipients developing any illnesses who may need to be confined or who may seek consultation in any hospital. This is proposed to be utilized until fully spent rather than putting a cap of until December 31, 2018 only, as originally stated in the House Bill.
In terms of public health management, a total of 1,250 nurses will be hired for three months to focus on profiling, monitoring and disseminating information and coordinating all actions of the vaccinees including their parents, to all existing health facilities and at the same time, manning hotlines for public queries.
In the affected regions of Central Luzon, National Capital Region, CALABARZON, and Central Visayas, particularly in Cebu Province, 382 nurses will be hired as Health Education and Promotion Officers. They will be deployed continuously until 2019 charged to the regular funds of the health department. They will be tasked to provide counseling, lectures, monitoring and following up of vaccinees concerns.
The DOH, in turn, has been tasked to improve the medical assistance program mechanisms for Dengvaxia-vaccinees and provide them easy access for needed health services. The DOH is also required by the House of Representatives to improve or set-up more hotlines to immediately respond to the concerns of parents.
“We are very pleased with the initial approval of our proposed budget by the House panel, which will certainly benefit all Dengvaxia-affected recipients including their families. We deeply commend the members of the Appropriations Committee of House of Representatives, through the able and active leadership of Representative Karlo Nograles,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque declared.