DOH 7 Stays Mum Over Ona’s Resignation

Officials of the regional health office in Central Visayas last week said they have no positive or negative comments against the resignation of Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona.

Dr. Expedito Medalla, DOH7 program coordinator said while it is true that the secretary has led the state’s health agency for a short period of time, they also shared what Ona gets from the government in terms of medical procurement.

Medalla, however, said if Ona was questioned about the controversial procurement on pneumonia vaccine, “well it is his duty and responsibility to clarify everything and clear his name from any anomalous charges.”

According to Medalla, tjheir works at the DOH regional office are to serve the people in terms of taking care of their health through effective medicines, provided by their central office in Manila.

“So if Secretary Ona was link to the controversy, the reason behind his resignation, so be it, and we here in region 7 have nothing to do with it but to follow what Malacañang says,” Medalla said.

“Everybody in the government is liberated to make any decision whether he has to continue working until his retirement or if he faces any questionable transaction all he has to do is to resign, the best option for him to do,” Medalla explained.

It was learned that Ona told the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that the government has at least saved P231 million in buying the pneumonia vaccine.

In his sworn affidavit to the NBI, he said the government has procured P601 million for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)10. against the P833 million price for PCV 13.

Per DOH record , said vaccine bought by Ona benefited at least 423,000 feeding babies from the original target of 300,000 beneficiaries this year.

But because there was a sort of suspicious account against Ona about this issue which prompted the NBI to launch an investigation, the former has no other option but to file his resignation.

However, the resignation was not yet acted by President Aquino, as of press time.