Group takes complaint vs DOH chief to Ombudsman

The complaint, filed by the Concerned Health Advocates for the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis, claims the procurement freeze could delay the delivery of life-saving medicines, increasing the risk of nationwide shortages. The group also argued that TB medicine procurement and distribution typically require six to nine months, making any prolonged delay potentially critical. “Tuberculosis does not wait for bureaucracy,” the group said in its statement. “Every day that life-saving TB drug is withheld is a step toward multi-drug resistance, spread and death. Sabotaging the national priority of TB eradication and orchestrating a supply crisis for the nation’s poor, the acting secretary has betrayed his oath,” it added. Pujalte, citing the agency’s leadership transition, issued a memo last July 24 to the Department of Health’s (DOH) Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, directing it to conduct a comprehensive briefing on the department’s tuberculosis control and prevention efforts and temporarily freeze all related ongoing and planned procurement activities for the remainder of 2026. The briefing, supposed to take place July 30, did not push through and resulted in the indefinite halting of the procurement process.Because of the halt, the group appealed for Pujalte to be suspended over possible administrative and criminal violations including grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Not even a month since taking over the post left by Teodoro Herbosa, this is the second controversy involving Pujalte.He was earlier accused of gambling which the Health department already denied. Council of Experts  Meanwhile, the DOH’s Council of Experts held its first meeting on Wednesday to discuss ways to improve the universal health care program under Pujalte’s leadership. The council is composed of former Health secretaries Jaime Galvez-Tan, Carmencita Reodica, Manuel Dayrit, Esperanza Cabral and Janette Garin. In a press briefing after the meeting, Pujalte said that his vision for health is “apolitical,” meaning that he wants to hear the thoughts of those who served before him regardless of which administration they served. “We need to restore a health care system that is free from politics. My priority for the next two years is to put patients first. With that direction, politics and unnecessary strategies that hinder the delivery of services to our people can be eliminated,” Pujalte said in Filipino. The council discussed ways to improve the zero balance billing program, revisiting primary health care registration, addressing fraud in PhilHealth programs and the immediate distribution of commodities. Pujalte also said that he is slated to visit several local government units to collaborate and inspect their local health facilities, even bringing an architect and an engineer to inspect their facilities. KRISTINA MARALIT AND RED MENDOZA