Change of political leaders won't hamper services -- health exec
After the May 14 elections, a shift in leadership is expected to happen in several communities but such will not negatively affect the services that have been implemented successfully in the past.
This was the assurance given by Dr. Zenaida Villareal, chief of Local Health Assistance of the Department of Health during last Friday's press conference in relation to the 4th anniversary of the DOH Center for Health in Western Visayas.
"The system has been institutionalized and the health workers already know the standard operating procedures of the programs that were implemented in the past seven years," she said.
DOH 6 regional director Dr. Lydia Depra Ramos added, "Change in leadership is just a matter of orientation."
She revealed that local chief executives play a major role in the delivery of basic health services. "The local chief executive have become health managers now that they have the know-how," she said.
"This is why across the nation, Western Visayas is recognized as the most advanced in local health system development because health deliveries are implemented in all levels."
Villareal added that the region has the most stakeholders as the department is closely coordinating with the local government units in promoting its programs.
"To sustain these programs, the department will hold conferences with the newly elected officials in order to update them. I know that that new local leaders will sustain whatever gains we have achieved," Ramos said.
Villareal also gave an assurance that the procurement activities of the department won't be affected despite the conflict of the election ban and the Republic Act of 9184, an act providing for the modernization, standardization and regulation of the procurement activities of the government and for other purposes. This conflict was already settled after a resolution issued by the Department of Budget Management (DBM) and NEDA.
"We will go on with the bidding process and can only award to the highest bidder after the May 14 elections," Villareal said.