'Please let me go with glory,' DOH-6's director appeals as she bids post g'bye
Ramos
Government service rewarded and not disregarded. Government dedication hailed and not bewailed. Promoted and not sacked.
Such was the clarification of Director Lydia Depra-Ramos of the Department of Health's Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) 6. This, as official word got out on the end of her 9-year stint as DOH-CHD 6 Regional Director.
The public pronouncement came from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez who said the lady director was sacked. And no less than Health Secretary Francisco Duque, he added, personally relayed the information to him.
Reasons remain unclear though for the Justice Secretary yet what is certain, he said, is that Director Depra-Ramos has indeed been relieved from post.
Gonzalez made the disclosure in an interview over Bombo Radyo Saturday saying it had a lot to do with the Typhoon Frank DOH 6 purported "mishandling."
"I want her out," further came the curt statement of the Justice Secretary who incidentally chairs the Panay Island Rehabilitation and Restoration Task Force.
Director Depra-Ramos expressed her surprise on the Secretary's statement as she decried the negative insinuations on her departure as CHD 6 director.
No truth that her office mishandled nor poorly managed Typhoon Frank devastation, she began in yesterday's phone interview. In fact, she said, DOH-CHD 6 received numerous citations from local government units throughout the region thanking the office and recognizing its assistance.
"We were commended.... if we did poorly, how come there was not a single outbreak of any water-borne diseases? We conducted round-the-clock surveillance, we did not sleep anymore as we work non-stop... we guarded water-sources so as not to have it contaminated..our logistical support was adequate and again, we contained outbreak of any disease particularly in the hardest hit areas. Typhoon Frank's devastation was of great magnitude but we were able to address it," Director Depra-Ramos said.
As such she admits to be at a loss as to why the Justice Secretary would "misread" her promotion.
"I don't really know why it will come across him in such a negative way... I know him to be the champion of due process... sana sa kanya manggaling ang justice," she added.
Come September 19th, Director Depra-Ramos said she is the new cluster head for DOH Central Office's Policy and Standard Development Sectoral Management Team. She will work directly under Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde.
"This is in appreciation of my experiences and my commitment and my level of knowledge. I have served the region for 9 years and was responsible for numerous health initiatives. I take pride that under my management we had the most number of Botika ng Barangays (BnBs). So it's not true that just one typhoon can undo all my hardwork for the department," she continued.
TNT learned that another possible post for Director Depra-Ramos is with the DOH Regional Office 2. She is reportedly eyed to take over the post of one Director Danga who is up for retirement.
"I am leaving Region 6 with everything in place. Please let me leave with glory. I feel that I deserve it and I'm worthy of this promotion. It is harvest time for me and all these, I became very effective because of the cooperation with local government officials and the entire health sector. Nine years of smooth service and my performance can stand. I have no political ambitions, I'm not a political person yet here comes this controversy over my promotion. I don't deserve this," she ended.
Though no official pronouncements have been made, expected to take over Depra-Ramos based on DOH-CHD 6 hierarchy is Assistant Regional Director Ariel Valencia.