ILOILO City – The city government’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) should hasten the purchase of anti-rabies vaccines, according to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), citing the rising cases of rabies in the metro.
The BAC is being weighed down by technicalities in the bidding process, reported the SP committee on health, sanitation and hospital services on Wednesday.
The city council passed a resolution calling for a speedier procurement process following the committee’s report that “there is already a rabies outbreak / emergency.”
“The number of cases shot up – from zero for the past 10 years to 10 cases in a span of a few months” plus one recorded rabies-related death, read part of the report prepared by committee chairperson Councilor Candice Tupas, a doctor.
Dr. Thomas Forteza, city veterinarian, supported Tupas’ view that there is already a rabies outbreak.
The city managed to keep itself free from rabies cases these past four years but this year, it already has 11 positive cases halfway through 2018, he said.
Tupas’ committee also pointed out budgetary / vaccine resource constraints:
* the local government’s P500,000 allocation for the rabies program covers only six percent of the vaccines needed (or good for two months only)
* animal bite package of PhilHealth (more or less P1 million for 2018)
* Department of Health (DOH) – but the department’s supply is inconsistent; for this year, the city has not received anti-rabies vaccines from DOH, according to the committee.
The City Health Office uses two World Health Organization-approved anti-rabies vaccines, Rabipur and Verorab. But just this February, DOH suspended its procurement of Rabipur due to manufacturing issues.
Tupas’ committee also cited another problem – uncooperative animal owners, especially those with dogs.
The City Veterinary Office has sufficient supply of vaccines for animals and it has personnel visiting barangays for free vaccination but many do not avail themselves of the service, according to the committee./PN