Akbayan Partylist Representative Chel Diokno criticized the Department of Health (DOH) for conducting inspections of health facilities only after issues about non-operational Super Health Centers (SHCs) came to light.
“Bakit ngayon lang ininspeksiyon pagkatapos lumabas ang isyu ng ghost health facilities? Dapat noon pa ito ginawa bilang due diligence, lalo pa’t bilyun-bilyong piso mula sa pera ng bayan ang ginastos sa mga proyektong ito!” said Rep. Diokno, referring to Health Secretary Ted Herbosa’s recent inspection visits to SHCs in various parts of the country.
(Why did the inspection happen only after the issue of ghost health facilities surfaced? This should have been done earlier as part of due diligence, especially since billions of pesos in public funds were spent on these projects!)
The lawmaker emphasized that accountability and oversight should have been ensured from the start, given the significant amount of taxpayer money involved.
Health Secretary Herbosa recently drew criticism after the DOH’s Facebook live stream of his SHC inspections was abruptly cut.
While inspecting a Super Health Center (SHC) in Marikina City, Sec. Herbosa was heard seemingly trying to dodge blame when he said, “At least tayo ang nag-expose. It’s better na tayo nag-expose kaysa tayo ma-expose. Bahala na sila magpaliwanag.”
Sec. Herbosa is currently facing multiple corruption cases before the Office of the Ombudsman involving ₱44.6 million worth of mental health drugs.
Earlier, concerned DOH personnel and healthcare governance advocates filed a complaint against Sec. Herbosa over the allegedly questionable and disproportionate allocation of government-procured psychiatric medications to the private civic group Rotary Club of Quezon City.
CinemaBravo 
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