No clamor for drastic change in DOH, hospitals group says amid oust-Duque calls

The 1,900-strong Philippine Hospital Association (PHA) is not joining the calls for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III amid issues hounding state insurer PhilHealth where he is chairman.

“We are happy with how things are going, we are content with how the government is handling the COVID-19 response,” Dr. Jaime Almora, PHA president, said in a Department of Health (DOH) briefing on Tuesday.

“We do conduct a survey on our members, and the message is there is no clamor for drastic change in the DOH,” Almora added.

This was in contrast with the stand of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPI), which is urging President Rodrigo Duterte to replace Duque with “someone who can deliver the goods better in addressing the health concerns of the country.”

If there’s any clamor, Almora said, it concerns the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) sets, especially that the rainy season would usher in cases of respiratory illnesses which share symptoms with COVID-19.

“There are some hospitals who are yet to receive PPE sets… the small hospitals. But of course, you will never have enough PPE sets in trying to keep your people on guard, especially at the start of the rainy season when seasonal flu cases are expected to come in,” he said.

“We worry how we are going to have enough adequate protection,” Almora added.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, however, assured Almora and the public that the DOH has solid COVID-19 and non-COVID 19 protocols in place and it is best coupled with competent and decisive doctors in the field.

“We have to err on the side of caution sa ganitong sitwayson. So the doctors would need a very sharp clinical eye. Pag may nakita sila na may ubo, sipon, masakit ang lalamunan lalo na kung galing sa area na mataas ang COVID-19 transmission, puwedeng i-consider na COVID-19 case ang isang pasyente, hindi dapat magpatumpik-tumpik at ia-isolate natin agad to prevent further transmission,” she said.

The Philippines has recorded 14,319 COVID-19 cases thus far. Of this number, 3,323 recovered while 873 of them died.

The government has eased quarantine protocols since May 16, allowing 50 to 75% of the workforce per company to physically report back to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Returning workers, however, are not required to be tested for COVID-19 since DOH protocol provides that only those with symptoms and exposure to COVID-19 patients are required to undergo COVID-19 testing. --KBK, GMA News