More Money for H1N1

DOH seeks additional P19.6-B budget for H1N1

AS cases of Influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in the country continue to rise, the Department of Health is seeking a supplemental budget of P19.6 billion, the bulk of which will be used to buy vaccines that are expected to be available a few months from now.

At the hearing of the House Committee on Health on Monday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said at least P16 billion is needed for the procurement of vaccines and P3.6 billion for the treatment and confinement of patients found positive with the pandemic influenza.

But Liberal Party Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon of Muntinlupa said that the proposed P16-billion budget would be better spent on capability upgrading of Department of Health (DOH) hospitals and laboratories to prepare for the next pandemic, which, he said, “is sure to come.”

“[The] P16 billion will go a long way in serving more of the 90 million Filipinos through upgraded health facilities than the 400,000 people who will be vaccinated,” said Biazon.

Lakas Rep. Eduardo Zialcita of Parañaque proposed that the P19-billion supplemental budget should not be limited to the A(H1N1) flu virus cases but also for other emerging diseases.

Besides the amount, the department is also asking P22 million for personal protective equipment, P150 million for the establishment of Centers for Health Development or regional offices, P21 million for laboratory equipment and P46 million for hospital support and rehabilitation.

Although the virus is being considered a mild strain, still, Duque said early preparation must be done now as the flu may mutate into another type or lead to a second wave of cases from a stronger strain.

This was supported by Dr. Soe Nyunt-Yu, representative of the World Health Organization, who was also present at the hearing. He said while the strain in the country could be considered mild, there is no reason to be complacent since the virus may change if mixed with other diseases.

“I mentioned severe pandemic, it is an overall observation. Almost all countries have cases of A(H1N1) but there are cases with only mild [ones]. No country can say that they are adequately prepared because we are dealing with the unknown,” Soe Nyunt-Yu said.

In the same hearing, Duque reported that as of June 27 the department had recorded 1,709 cases with 86-percent recovery rate and only .06 percent mortality rate.

As for the treatment of the flu virus, Duque said the government has a stockpile of oseltamivir or Tamiflu tablets, given for free to those who exhibit flu-like symptoms. The supply, Duque said, is good for at least 450,000 patients expected to be affected by the virus.

“We will only give these capsules to patients who manifested symptoms; it is safe to give in the next 48 hours but we want to clarify that this is not the cure for A(H1N1),” Duque said.

Last week, in a conference sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Singapore, Christophe Weber, GSK’s senior vice president and area director, said that with recent studies showing Tamiflu flu resistance to, governments should also have a stockpile of Relenza, with zanamivir as active ingredient, a drug produced by GSK.

“Those countries who have stockpiles of Tamiflu should at least [have a] stockpile also of Relenza so that if resistance [to Tamiflu] occurs, you have a fallback,” Weber told the BusinessMirror in an interview at the sidelines of the event.

Weber gave assurances that Relenza has no reported case of resistance. Tamiflu is made by Roche.

By Business Mirror


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