Ifugao health office commends nat'l gov't for low cost medicines
by Vency D. Bulayungan
LAGAWE, Ifugao (15 October) -- Health officials here commend the national government for its move to lower down the prices of medicines.
Dra Jaqueline Kitong, Chief, Technical Division of the Ifugao Provincial Hospitalsaid that the importation of low cost raw materials from India that would effectively bring down the cost of generic drugs manufactured in the Philippines is one of the best gift the government can give to the people.
"With the economic situation of our folks here in the province, the said move of the national government will be of great help to them since not all can afford to buy the high-cost of medicines sold at the commercial drug stores," Kitong said.
During the recent visit of President Gloria Arroyo in India, she asked Indian pharmaceutical firms to choose the Philippines as their main base of operations in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Marivic Fabro, Provincial Coordinator of the Botika Ng Barangay (BNB) here also hailed the national government for its move to lower down the prices of medicines. "The high cost of medicines is really one of the issues raised during our barangay visits thus the folks here are grateful that we have the BNB which is accessible in their localities," she said.
Fabro declared that this program of the government will still benefit the people because not all medicines are sold at the BNBs. People will still buy medicines which are not available at the BNBs at the commercial drug stores.
The BNB is a program of the government that sells selected medicines such as paracetamol, amoxicillin and other common medicines at cheaper prices at the barangay level. com pared to medicines at the drug stores. (PIA-Ifugao) [top]
