The Filipino Nurses United (FNU) joins groups demanding for the replacement of Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III for his “weak leadership that has caused unforgivable delays in the crafting and implementation of critical life-saving decisions.”
The group said in its statement, “Immediate replacement of Secretary Duque is urgent now that majority of the country’s regions will be under general community quarantine (GCQ), anticipating possible increase in transmission of COVID-19.”
FNU cited six reasons for calling for Duque to be relieved from his post:
- Failure to establish early COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures despite the fact that three cases of positive COVID-19 were documented as early as January 30, 2019.
- Delay in identifying referral hospitals (government and private) dedicated only for COVID-19 patients. Hence, some hospitals were flooded with COVID-19 patients and failed to provide basic services to non-COVID patients. Worse, some hospitals refused to admit non-COVID patients which resulted to unnecessary deaths. Thorough investigation on these cases still need to be conducted.
- Delayed decision on the inclusion of frontline health workers as individuals who are at-risk of contracting COVID-19 infection (DOH Department Memorandum No. 2020-0151 dated March 31, 2020 on the Interim Guidelines on Expanded Testing for COVID-19)
- Delay in providing frontline health workers with adequate personal protective equipment (PPEs) which resulted in the deaths of 31 health workers as of May 24, 2020 and a total of 2,369 health workers infected with COVID-19, 866 of whom are nurses. The purchase of 1 million PPEs happened in the last week of March yet until this month of May, they have yet to finish distribution. Most hospitals relied on PPE donations from private organizations or individuals.
- Delay in hiring additional health workers in anticipation of the outbreak of COVID-19 cases. In fact, instead of hiring additional health personnel, the DOH launched a volunteer portal searching for Healthcare Warriors to respond to increasing shortages in health workers (DOH Situation Report No. 11 to World Health Organization dated March 28, 2020).
- Failure to proactively recommend benefits for frontline health workers in the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emergency Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. The COVID hazard pay and one-time Special Risk Allowance under Administrative Orders 26 and 28 are neither commensurate to the high risk they face nor equitably provided among frontline health workers.
Among 2,480 health workers in the frontlines infected with COVID-19, nurses were the most infected with 905 cases.
Metro Manila will be placed under GCQ from June 1, after enduring the longest lockdown in the world. After 77 days, the cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, from the 52 cases when the lockdown was announced to 17,224 as of May 30 but there are already 23,500 individuals who tested positive as of May 29 (the difference of positive and confirmed is the number the DOH needs to validate). Deaths rose from three when the lockdown was announced to 950 as of May 30.
The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi) composed of 744 private hospitals wrote a letter to President Duterte asking for the replacement of Duque on May 25.
“We have high regard for him as one among our esteemed colleagues in the healthcare industry but he seems to be already so exhausted that there is [a] need for a fresh blood and a fresh mind to lead the Department of Health,” said PHAPi President Dr. Rustico Jimenez in a statement.
The group said they have enough of the promises made by Duque and found most difficult how they were given runaround by PhilHealth when asked about the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM). The IRM is for the payment of COVID-19 tests and treatment in private hospitals as the government promised to shoulder COVID-19 related tests and treatments.
The Philippine Hospital Association (PHA) on May 26 continued to express its support for Duque. The PHA has 1,981 public and private hospitals as members.
“The PHA has been cooperating with the programs of the DOH. In fact, we are happy with how things are going. We are happy that we are able to control the spread of the infection. At least we are able to contain it in Manila, and in the provinces, we are not seeing an increase in cases out in the provinces,” said PHA President Dr. Jaime Almora in a DOH press briefing.
Earlier, PHA, PHAPi, Philippine Medical Association, Philippine College of Hospital Administrators signed a joint statement expressing support to Duque amid a Senate resolution calling for the country’s top doctor to resign his post.
On April 16, at least 14 senators signed Senate Resolution No. 362, calling for Duque’s resignation for his “failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight, and inefficiency in performance.” While many agreed, the public asked why only Duque is being called upon to resign when everything the Senate accused Duque of, President Rodrigo Duterte has the bigger responsibility especially after getting his additional powers to respond to COVID-19 through the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act by end of March. The role of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) as lead group for COVID-19 response and which Duque heads was relegated to a policy-making body for the approval of the National Task Force COVID-19 implementing Duterte’s additional powers and is headed and composed of former generals and now top cabinet officials.
Calls for Duque to resign or be fired from his post reemerged after the Health Secretary declared the country is in the “second wave of COVID-19 transmissions” which one senator pointed out could be the first such admission in the world and an admission also the initial interventions in the country to curb the first wave did not work. Other cabinet officials would disagree with Duque, and Malacañang Palace would then issue a declarative that the country is still in the first wave contradicting Duque.
In both waves of calls for Duque’s resignation, Duterte expressed his confidence in his DOH appointee.
