Dayrit to DOH personnel: Support my successor

Outgoing Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit has asked officials and personnel of the Department of Health (DOH) to support his successor, former Philippine Health Insurance Corp. president Francisco Duque III.

"Now that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Dr. Francisco Duque as the next health secretary, let us work for a seamless transition and turnover in the Department of Health," he noted in a memorandum to DOH officials, employees and health workers.

Starting June 1, Duque will take over from Dayrit, who was named health secretary in 2001.

Dayrit has denied he was pressured by Mrs. Arroyo to resign.

He said that after four years and three months at the DOH, he felt it was time to "move on."

However, Dayrit admitted that as early as August 2003, he had been informed by Mrs. Arroyo about her plans for a "transition" in the Cabinet.

In a statement, Dayrit said the DOH was committed to maintaining the high quality of work and health services, even with new leadership is coming in.

"I am confident that the major programs I have started will even reach higher with the appointment of former PhilHealth president Francisco Duque III," he said.

Earlier, Duque said people have become more aware of the government’s health insurance program after the publicity generated by Mrs. Arroyo’s distribution of PhilHealth cards bearing her photograph.

"Mas marami ngayon ang tumatawag para maging miyembro (More people now want to become a member of PhilHealth)," he said.

Duque said they were expecting more funds from the Department of Budget and Management for the distribution of health cards to the poor.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office had earmarked P1.5 billion to pay for the premiums of local governments and ensure enough funds for registered families, he added.

Duque said the distribution of health cards to indigent Filipinos is part of PhilHealth’s mandate under Republic Act 7875.

"Since the very beginning, medicare coverage has always been free for the poor as provided for in RA 7875," he said.

Duque said the health care program got a boost in April 2003 when PhilHealth, in partnership with the PCSO, implemented the PCSO Greater Medicare Access program.

Under the agreement, the PCSO will shoulder the premium contributions of local governments, while the DBM provided the shares of the national government, he added.

Duque said the PCSO had assumed the contributions of local governments because they were unable to pay the premiums of indigent members.

"The indigent program is a good and noble program, which benefits the vast majority of Filipinos," he said. "Certainly, it should not be stopped because of the elections."

Close to nine million poor Filipinos are covered under the government’s health care program, he added.

Duque said it was his idea to place Mrs. Arroyo’s photograph on the health cards, and that mayors, governors and congressmen also had their pictures on cards being distributed to their constituents.

"We did it to increase enrollment in the health plan," he said.

PhilHealth cards have been bearing the photograph of Mrs. Arroyo since early 2002, Duque said, though some critics claim this practice lent political color to the government program. – Sheila Crisostomo