The Refusal of Marcos to Appoint a DOH Secretary is Unconscionable

In a brave and stunning move which highlights his complete ignorance and lack of care for Filipinos President Bongbong Marcos has revealed that he will not be appointing an official DOH Secretary until the COVID situation in the nation normalizes. But the fact that the COVID situation is NOT normalized is exactly why there needs to be an official DOH Secretary and not just an OIC. But it is not only COVID that is plaguing the nation. There is an ongoing health crisis which needs to be addressed immediately. 

Measles and rubella cases are up 153% this year. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1675842/measles-rubella-cases-up-153-doh

The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 450 measles and rubella cases so far this year, 153 percent higher than 2021.

The DOH released this data — covering the period Jan. 1 to Sept. 17 — on Wednesday, after earlier warning of an impending measles outbreak by 2023 if the vaccination coverage of children against the said virus does not improve.

Alarmed by the data, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda urged the government to take advantage of the resumption of in-person classes and vaccinate more schoolchildren in order to avert a possible measles outbreak by early 2023.In a statement, Salceda said the resumption of in-person classes is an “opportunity to expand vaccination” among schoolchildren.

He added: “In the long run, we need to build capacity for vaccinating against common diseases. That is one function that an institutionalized Center for Disease Control can boost.”

Salceda made the remarks after DOH officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency needs more funds to hire more vaccinators and improve vaccination coverage because over one million children missed their routine vaccines during the pandemic, including measles shots.

Measles cases alone are up 179%.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2022/10/13/PH-measles-cases-179--higher.html

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported a massive increase in measles cases in the country in September this year compared to the same period last year.

Latest DOH data showed there were 11 additional cases from Sept. 11 to 17, bringing the total to 413 as of Sept. 24. This posted a 179% increase compared to the same period last year where there were only 148 cases.

The DOH has warned there will be an outbreak by next year unless vaccination rates improve. 

Dengue cases are up 191%.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/14/22/doh-dengue-cases-up-191-pct-from-jan-1-oct-1

The Philippines has logged 173,233 dengue cases since the start of the year, which is 191 percent higher from the number of cases recorded in 2021, the Department of Health said Friday.

According to Dr. Alethea De Guzman, director of DOH's epidemiology bureau, dengue cases in the country started increasing in the third week of March.

"We peaked in the second week of July and now, we can see in the epidemic curve that the dengue cases have continued to decrease," she said in a press briefing.

From January 1 to October 1 last year, the Philippines had 59,514 dengue cases.

In the press briefing, De Guzman said dengue cases have also declined in all areas with declared outbreak, except Southern Leyte. These are Zamboanga City, Antique and Zamboanga Sibugay.

While dengue cases are now declining it is alarming that they rose so high in the first place and it is possible they could spike once more. 

Cholera cases are up 282%.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/847670/philippines-cholera-cases-282-higher-this-year-at-3-729-says-doh/story/

A total of 3,729 cholera cases have been recorded in the country since January 2022, which is 282% higher compared to the data during the same period last year, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

At a press conference, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that in 2022, there were only 976 cholera cases.

Vergeire said that the most common age group affected with cholera are children aged 5 to 9, primarily due to unsafe drinking water.

(We know that it is the rainy season now, there is a lot of flooding, a lot of people also go to evacuation centers. Because of calamities, our water systems are always affected, especially in these areas.)

(There are people who die because of cholera. If it is not cured, patients will suffer from severe dehydration, especially if they are immunocompromised or are vulnerable.)

Just as cholera is spread through dirty water so is diarrhea which remains a deadly problem throughout the Philippines.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/08/6-die-from-diarrhea-caused-by-bad-water-in-dumagat-tribe-in-quezon/

Six members of the Dumagat tribe here have died from diarrhea reportedly as a result of water contaminated after the onslaught of super typhoon “Karding.”

The Department of Health (DOH)-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon area) and the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) are investigating the outbreak that has affected a total of 38 individuals from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6 in Barangay Upper Lumutan.

“The DOH is saddened by what happened to our Dumagat natives where many have lost their lives because they were not immediately diagnosed and taken to our primary health care facility,” DOH-Region 4-A Director Ariel I. Valencia said.

“Rest assured that we are working closely with IPHO through our RESU to provide the necessary assistance in the affected barangay,” Valencia added.

Though these deaths may be related to the typhoon it is a fact that deadly diarrhea outbreaks remain a health concern in the Philippines. 

Last but not least infant mortality has increased. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1683444/psa-logs-higher-infant-mortality-rates-popcom-says-its-due-to-lack-of-healthcare-access

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) logged a slight increase in infant mortality rate this year, which the population commission attributed to a lack of access to healthcare facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the PSA data, the said number of fatalities classified under “other direct obstetric deaths,” has increased in the first six months of 2022 at 468 compared to 425 in the same period last year.

The said fatality rose in the ranking of causes of death from 44th in 2021 to 39th in 2022, according to PSA.

Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) officer in charge Lolito Tacardon said “this condition indicates an issue in accessing appropriate, quality, and timely services from healthcare facilities.”

“It poses the challenge to improve our local health system for emergency obstetric and newborn care, which was definitely affected during the pandemic.

“Our health system should now be slowly recovering from the deluge of cases caused by the pandemic to ensure adequate services for other health concerns such as those related to maternal, infant, and child health,” Tacardon also said.

That last sentence says it all. After two years the Philippines should be recovering and shifting its focus to ensuring normal, regular healthcare especially for maternal and infant health. An official DOH secretary is necessary to lead the charge and not merely an OIC. 

There is no justifiable excuse for Marcos to refrain from appointing a DOH Secretary until the COVID situation normalizes while the nation is plagued by many and very serious health problems. It is unconscionable and shows Marcos' callous indifference towards the very people who elected him president.