Ghost masks?
DOH central office orders probe on DOH 6 oil spill masks buy
More aftershocks are now felt from the unfortunate oil spill disaster that hit the island-province of Guimaras nearly 13 months after it made the headlines. With life back to normal and business as usual for affected residents in former 'ghost villages' here, reports of "ghost" procurement of oil spill masks now haunt regional executives of the Department of Health (DOH).
Health Department insiders told The News Today (TNT) that one purported subject of the investigation is no less than Regional Director Lydia Depra-Ramos. The probe as sought caused the ongoing fact-finding mission of a legal team from the DOH central office.
No other specifics were readily available with the DOH 6 here reportedly caught by surprise on the arrival of department probers. A shortlist of resource persons have been identified, TNT further learned, as validation were made on the number of oil spill masks actually delivered as compared to what was supposedly procured.
Reports added that the "covert" probe was initially designed to be an internal matter until such time the legal team manages to consolidate its findings.
To recall, the DOH in a guideline issued back in September 2006 ordered for the issuance of respirator masks and cartridges to oil spill workers in Guimaras.
'No mask, no work,' then came the corresponding rule alongside medical check-ups made with clean-up workers.
DOH Central Office for its part provided 499 pairs of masks and cartridges to the DOH 6 - Center for Health Development. More masks were then requested with the number of coastal clean-up workers then numbering to about 1,600.
The 499 pairs of masks came as the DOH purchased over P1.1 million worth of medicines and health assessment made on a regular basis.
In a report, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) officially noted the initial 499 masks donated and the purchased medicines.
First three months after the disaster a total of 705 consultations were done in twelve heavily-affected Guimaras villages. Symptoms of respiratory illness remained to be the main common condition which is 55.29% out of 1,342 cumulative total of signs and symptoms
A meeting was also then conducted with the provincial, municipal and barangay officials with the DOH pursuing an agreement for the strict implementation of a department memo.
The said memo dubbed "Act Pertaining to Safety of Oil Spill Cleaners in Guimaras." provided that clean-up workers must have medical clearance as it further laid down the perimeters on forced evacuation in identified high-risk villages.
At that time, inventory of the purchased medicines was correspondingly made by the NDCC.
The oil spill masks were ordered to be procured as protective gears of the coastal cleaners in order to prevent inhalation of toxic fumes.
A TNT source from the government's medical team has since expressed reservations on the oil spill mask-deal saying it was not really serving its "protective purpose."
"We could have used the money for some other more pressing need or at least another kind of mask," the source said while then pointing out how none of them really use it for the most part.