State auditors flag Agusan del Norte’s poor storage of hospital supplies

MANILA, Philippines – State auditors discovered buckets of paint, used tires, hospital supplies, and trash stored together in two Agusan del Norte buildings that were being used as temporary storage.

The Commission on Audit (COA) team that visited the sites as part of the 2023 year-end audit also found that the Provincial Health Office (PHO) kept hospital and office supplies in a “similar area due to limited space.”

“Unused boxes, trash, unserviceable equipment, and stagnant water caused by poor drainage were seen in the surroundings. Also, the facility still has no water supply,” COA said.

Similar issues were discovered during a second inspection of a section of the Department of Health building that the PHO was using for temporary fluid storage.

Government auditors discovered that the location was unhygienic, with medical supplies stored near trash and handyman’s chemicals.

The audit team reported that they discovered tires, used hospital beds, garbage, and maintenance supplies like paints, boots, and buckets in the same premises.

State auditors noted that the province was not unfamiliar with these issues, as comparable findings had been noted in audit reports from previous years.

In response, the provincial government built a special warehouse for these supplies. However, even though the building was ostensibly finished by July 2023, it was unoccupied on the audit date because it was awaiting the issuance of an occupancy permit.

The provincial government said it had removed used boxes, trash, and non-functional items from the storage areas in response to the audit’s observations. – Rappler.com