DOH chief post offered but doctors declined - Garin | ABS-CBN

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DOH chief post offered but doctors declined - Garin

DOH chief post offered but doctors declined - Garin

ABS-CBN News

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Updated Oct 25, 2022 01:48 PM PHT

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The headquarters of the Department of Health in Manila, June 15, 2016. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
The headquarters of the Department of Health in Manila, June 15, 2016. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — The position of the secretary of health was offered to several doctors but they declined the post, a lawmaker disclosed Tuesday.

Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin, also a former health secretary, made the remark amid questions about President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr's failure to appoint a Department of Health chief 4 months into his term.

"As far as I know, the position of secretary of health has been offered to many qualified individuals already but they don't want to give up their practice," she told ANC's "Headstart".

"Marami ang takot kasi baka mamaya ubusin kami ng kaso diyan. Kawawa naman 'yung aming pamilya. There are a lot of circumstances that has actually paved the way for many doctors to fear government service," she added.

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The DOH is currently headed by its officer-in-charge, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

In the case of Vergeire, who is a career official, Garin said the former has a lot to lose should she be appointed as health secretary.

"If she will be appointed as secretary of health, it goes with it she's ready to let go of government service after 6 years or she's ready to be removed anytime by the President or she's ready not to be confirmed with the Commission of Appointments," the lawmaker said.

"These are situations that many people are not seeing. Maraming qualified pero halos walang gusto because of the vulnerability," she added.

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In the interview, Garin defended the appointment of former Philippine National Police chief Camilo Cascolan as DOH undersecretary.

"Give DOH a chance," she said.

As someone familiar with the inner workings of the DOH, Garin said the agency also needs managers and not just doctors and scientists.

Designating a military man into a health position is also not new and is common in other countries, she added.

His advice to Cascolan? Get advisers from specialty medical societies.

"We have a lot of technical directors and technical scientists and experts inside the Department of Health na 'yung mga boses nila hindi makalabas. Andaming magagaling sa loob na hindi makalabas," Garin added.

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