The Department of Finance (DoF) is looking for ways to help fund projects of the Department of Health (DoH) amounting to over P14 billion.

In a statement on Wednesday, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa presented last 30 September several projects covering health facilities, vehicles, equipment, and immunization workers.

“It is our task to find funds for government services. Protecting Filipinos’ health is among the very important government services as health programs directly affect our people,” Recto said.

The Finance chief shared that the DoH is looking to build more health centers and hospitals and acquire more equipment and vehicles for health offices in local government units which all cost around P14.31 billion.

These are part of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program.

173 vehicles rolling in

Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the Department of Budget and Management approved the release of P454 million for the second purchase of 173 vehicles for the proposed health program.

Breaking them down, the vehicles consist of 161 units of land-based ambulance, 2 units of mobile clinics, 4 units of sea-based ambulance, four units of passenger vans, one patient transport van, and one mobile blood donation van.

Apart from material needs, Recto said the DoH aims to hire immunization vaccinators for children to raise the immunization rate of this group to 95 percent. This task requires a P315.72 million fund.

Meanwhile, the Pharmaceutical Management Initiative which will ease and expand public’s access to medicines requires P20 million in funding.