The Commission on Audit has recently flagged the province of Ilocos Norte over P39.27 million worth of medical equipment that remained idle and unutilized as of year-end 2022.

In its report, CoA said Ilocos Norte possessed a total of P39,267,500 allotted for various medical equipment for its hospitals but upon audit, it was discovered that the equipment remained idle and unutilized as of 31 December, which runs counter to Section 2 of Presidential Decree 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.

Section 2 of the PD 1445 mandates that "all resources of the government shall be managed, expended or utilized in accordance with law and regulations, and safeguard against loss or wastage through illegal or improper disposition, with a view to ensuring efficiency, economy, and effectiveness in the operations of government."

Apart from bypassing the order, the non-utilization of funds deprived the supposed beneficiaries of immediate and maximum use.

CoA said Ilocos Norte should prioritize training or hiring medical practitioners who will provide the skills or knowledge to operate the medical equipment and ordered the province to execute intensive supervision of the construction and completion of health facilities needed to install medical equipment to ward off further delay in its utilization and deterioration.

It stressed that if not done, Ilocos Norte should consider donating the idled medical equipment to other government hospitals, which are technically ready for their proper use.

State auditors also told provincial government to carry out actual needs assessment, ensuring the readiness of the hospitals to stave off such a recurrence and guaranteeing economy and efficiency in the utilization of funds.