(Eagle News) — The Department of Health said it welcomes the investigation of the Office of the Ombudsman on Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and other health officials on the department’s handling of the department’s COVID-19 response.
The DOH said it will “comply with all directives from the Office of the Ombudsman.”
“DOH officials will willingly cooperate with the authorities to ensure utmost transparency throughout the duration of the investigation and beyond,” the DOH said in a statement.
It csaid that has been “transparent in the COVID-19 response, including procurement transactions and the provision of benefits to healthcare workers.”
The Department has issued all checks to the kins of 32 fallen healthcare workers and 19 severe COVID19 patients who recovered, last June 9. New claims to said benefits are being processed to this day.
It said that “all checks to the kin of 32 fallen healthcare workers and 19 severe COVID-19 patients who recovered” had been already issued as of June 9.
“New claims to said benefits are being processed to this day,” the DOH said.
-Earlier order for probe cited-
The DOH also cited the earlier order of President Rodrigo Duterte for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) “to investigate the issues raised on the procurement of PPEs, machines, and testing kits by the Procurement Service- Department of Budget and Management” last May 26.
“The DOH has likewise maintained a regular reporting of cases and deaths through its pressers, situation reports, and in its tracker, publicly available in the official channels. As firm believers of transparency, the Department has likewise religiously informed the public for corrections and clarifications raised by all sectors as it continues to validate all submitted data,” it explained in its statement.
Earlier, Ombudsman Samuel Martires directed the creation of two more teams that will jointly investigate the various allegations against the DOH including the delayed procurement of physical protective equipment (PPEs) and other items needed for the protection of medical frontliners, and reported lapses that led to the death of health workers.
The claims of inaction in the release and processing of financial assistance to infected and “fallen” medical workers, and the “confusing and delayed” reporting of COVID-19 deaths and confirmed cases are also subject of their prob
The Ombudsman said the creation of the two teams was following the evaluation of reports and a recommendation from Assistant Ombudsman Caesar Asuncion, Asisstant Ombudsman Joselito Fangon and Assistant Ombudsman Jose Balmeo.
Before the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in March, Martires formed one fact-finding team to probe the DOH’s purchase of 100,000 test kits and the news reports involving the use of test kits invented by the University of the Philippines.
Ombudsman field investigators, however, were reportedly given the “runaround by some DOH officials and personnel by referring us from one department or office to another.”
(Eagle News Service)
