MANILA – Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire could not hold her feelings in saying that morale of the personnel of the Department of Health (DOH), especially those directly involved in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is low.
She said in a live TV interview on Friday that it is a natural thing that people feels bad when they know they have done their best but still it is not enough for others “Medyo malungkod din sa investigation that will come from the Ombudsman pero lagi naming sinasabi na bukas ang aming tanggapan sa ganitong investigation and we will cooperate kung saka sakaling magtuloy po to.” (We are a little bit sad that an investigation will come from the Ombudsman but as we often say that our office is open for such kind of investigation and we will cooperate if it will push through).
In a separate TV interview, Vergerie also said that DOH has been stretched too much lately like fighting against dengue epidemic, polio, and other infectious diseases as well as dealing with health issues during natural calamities like earthquakes and the Taal volcano eruption in January prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The health department, much less the Secretary Francisco Duque III, is not new to pressures and controversies. Sec. Duque survived the call of the senate to be replaced by the president for his lackluster performance and leadership lapses against the pandemic. The latest is the order of the Ombudsman, Wednesday, to conduct an investigation on the secretary and other officials and employees of the DOH over alleged irregularities on the agency’s response to the pandemic.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires said he ordered the probe after evaluating the initial reports and recommendations of his subordinates regarding the “purchase of 100 thousand test kits by the DOH, the use of UP-invented test kits, and alleged delay in the procurement of personal protective equipment, and lapses and irregularities that led to the death of medical workers and the rising number of infected medical frontliners.”
But the issue does not end there. On June 17, assistant special adviser to the National Task Force against Covid-19 Dr. Tony Leachon was reported pressured by officials, including Sec. Duque to resign from the task force for telling in social media about “certain differences with DOH policies, e.g. lack of sense of urgency, problems in Covid data, and transparency in the communication process.” Duque and other officials have denied the allegations of Dr. Leachon.
