Sunday, July 06, 2008 Health official: We're not stopping medical missions By Erwin Cabarles
"WE WERE misunderstood and misconstrued!"
This was the statement of Department of Health (DOH) Regional Director Lydia Depra Ramos concerning the allegation that she ordered to stop the medical missions in the region, especially in Iloilo.
Ramos said she was taken aback when the issue came out in the news pointing to her as the one stopping the medical missions in the region.
She added that the information was wrong and that she and the DOH-Western Visayas were misunderstood.
"I really don't know why this twisting of information is being done. The DOH is not stopping them from doing any medical mission. They just misunderstood us," Ramos said.
She said the Iloilo Medical Society (IMS), the one which brought up the issue, has misconstrued her when she previously said that those who would like to hold medical missions, especially from foreign aids, should first coordinate and ask for clearance from DOH and must adhere to the medical mission guidelines and precautionary measures set as stated in Administrative Order No. 719.
"I'm not that kind of person and the fact is that I did not stop the medical missions here. The guidelines are for the protection of the beneficiaries and those who are going to conduct medical missions," Ramos said.
The DOH official added that it would be outrageous to stop the medical missions at this point in time considering the present situation of Panay Island after it was hit by Typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen) and ravaged by the flashflood last June 21.
At present, the guidelines for the medical missions is temporarily suspended as ordered by DOH Secretary Francisco Duque so the issue would die down.
Ramos also lamented that she had received reprimands from other health officials, especially from Duque, because of the wrong information and the wrong assumption of the IMS.
However, she denied the report that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo scolded her during her recent Iloilo visit.
Ramos said she wasn't able to talk or even face the President during her visit.
Dr. Delia Delgado Tarosa of the DOH, for her part, said the guidelines have been in existence for a long time and it is the duty of DOH to first check the medical missions in order to clear them.
"It is important that there are guidelines because we have to check first the doctors, equipment, the area of the mission, and most importantly we check the medicines that will be used. It's all right if the medicine is local but if its from outside the country then we really have to check them considering the fact that foreign dosage differs from ours," Tarosa said.
She added that foreign donations of medicines are most welcome but they have to be checked first for the safety of those who will take them.
Meanwhile, Dr. Florentino Alerta of the IMS assured that doctors in their medical missions are all licensed physicians and there is no need to question them.
He added that the medicines they use are safe for the patients and was purchased locally.
"I assure that the medicines we give during our medical missions are safe. We are not that crazy to give away expired medicines. What we want is to serve the public, especially the poor," Alerta said.
Ramos is asking for an apology from IMS, saying she was really hurt by the misjudgment it has made on her. However, she said she doesn't harbor any ill feelings toward the IMS.
