Hospital group backs Herbosa as health chief

THE Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi) on Thursday endorsed emergency medical expert and National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) special consultant Dr. Teodoro Herbosa as the next Health secretary.

In a government briefing, PHAPi President Dr. Jose Rene de Grano said that their endorsement is in line with the endorsements made by the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) and its allied organizations.

PMA President Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag and immediate past president Dr. Benito Atienza said in a previous briefing that Herbosa has "vast experience and expertise" in health care systems, public health, hospital administration, trauma surgery, emergency and disaster medicine.

Herbosa was also endorsed by Go Negosyo founder Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd, but he also backed infectious disease expert, Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvana, for the post.

Concepcion said that having either Herbosa or Salvana at the Department of Health (DoH) will help the government keep Covid-19 under control and maintain the health system in "good standing." In turn, this would allow the economy to keep on running,

De Grano hopes that President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will accept their endorsement.

Aside from being the special adviser at NTF, Herbosa was the executive vice president of the University of the Philippines System and a former undersecretary for the Department of Health. He also taught at UP-Philippine General Hospital Manila and the National University of Malaysia.

De Grano said that Marcos should immediately name his health chief so that the medical community can assist the new administration in his health agenda.

"I hope our president-elect names his health chief, and we also expect from the medical community to have an open communication [with his new Health secretary] that would help our doctors, hospitals and different health care facilities." he said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, de Grano expressed hope that health workers will finally be given their One Covid Allowance (OCA).

He said that the majority of their members have not yet received their OCA and even their Special Risk Allowance for last year.

"I hope we don't come to a point that we will be asking [the DoH] to release the funds as these are benefits of our health care workers which could be used to convince them to stay here," de Grano added.

In a statement, the DoH urged private hospitals to coordinate with them to expedite the processing of the OCA.

It added that for the Centers for Health Development (CHDs or Regional Offices) to transfer funds to private hospitals, its implementing rules and regulations require a memorandum of agreement and full accounting or liquidation of funds previously given.

"[The CHDs] welcome the submission of names of the private hospitals encountering difficulties so that the issues can be addressed immediately," the DoH said.

Source: TheManila Times