Health Secretary Enrique Duque II has estimated that Sanofi should compensate the government by as much as P32 million as payment for the PhilHealth coverage for possible hospitalization due to the possible adverse effects of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
Duque said the amount would cover expenses based on PhilHealth’s case rate package for dengue worth P8,000 to P16,000 for at least 2,000 cases.
“Aabot yan, siguro, 2,000 hospitalizable cases of dengue at P16,000 na, nilagay ko na sa pinakamataas na posibleng singil,” Duque said.
“Sixteen thousand pesos per case times 2,000, mga P32 million ang gugugulin o gagastusin ng PhilHealth at siya naman kako sulatan ang Sanofi na singilin sila sa bawat documented case that PhilHealth have to reimburse sa hospital,” he added.
The health chief said those who are enrolled with PhilHealth may avail of packages for Dengue I (P8,000) and Dengue II (P16,000) for their medical expenses related to the disease.
But Duque said that Sanofi could think twice to shoulder the expenses since this would be tantamount to admitting that it had committed a wrongdoing in pushing for the vaccine.
“Takot din sila umoo kagad kasi siyempre, baka sabihin nila, ‘pag umoo sila, isasama na mali sila,” Duque said. But they have to be made accountable, so we await the results of the investigating bodies kasi sila naman ang nagsasagawa, yung prosecution, fact-finding, gathering of evidence,” he added.
Duque said he also plans to ask Sanofi to reimburse the DOH for the remaining stock of Dengvaxia depending on the advice of the World Health Organization and the expert panel convened for the assessment of the program.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said he would demand from Sanofic to refund the P3.5-billion and at the same time vowed to go after individuals who will be found criminally responsible for the use of Dengvaxia in the dengue immunization program.