DOH Suspends Plan to Buy 4 Laptops Worth P700,000

The Department of Health on Monday said it suspended its plan to purchase four high-end laptops worth P700,000 after state auditors flagged deficiencies in its use of P67 billion in COVID response funds.

Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, who heads the department's administration and financial management team, said his office was studying the market prices for the laptops.

"To date, the procurement transaction was put on hold pending the result of the further market study and prevailing market price for these laptops," he told the press.

A document released by the DOH showed that the department has approved a budget of P175,000 each for "high-end 2-in-1 laptop with accessories".