64 medical groups 'concerned' with Vergeire's removal from DOH
In a statement issued Monday, the Healthcare Professionals Alliance against Covid-19 (HPAAC) described Vergeire as a 'calm and credible presence' who helped Filipinos and healthcare workers through the Covid-19 pandemic.
HPAAC noted that the removal of Vergeire and other DOH officials were 'deeply concern[ing]' and questioned the appointment of officials with 'limited public health background crucially needed in their roles.'
'These actions risk undermining institutional stability, demoralizing other health professionals, and weakening the public trust we have collectively worked to build,' read the statement.
'Political transitions must not come at the cost of technical excellence or institutional memory—especially at a time when the country continues to face urgent health challenges, including the recent calamities affecting our communities,' the statement added.
HPAAC called on the Palace to uphold the President's leadership by strengthening 'the foundations of professional, non-partisan health governance.'
As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the list of signatories were as follows:
Philippine Medical Association (PMA)
Philippine Association of Medical Technologists (PAMET)
Philippine League of Government and Private Midwives (PLGPM)
Philippine College of Physicians (PCP)
Philippine Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP)
Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecology Society (POGS)
Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS)
Philippine Academic Society of Social and Community Medicine (PASCOM)
Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology (PAO)
Philippine Academy of Pediatric Pulmonologists (PAPP)
Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM)
Philippine Association of Nutrition (PAN)
Philippine Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (PAPRAS)
Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP)
Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM)
Philippine College of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (PCEDM)
Philippine College of Geriatric Medicine (PCGM)
Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM)
Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS)
Philippine Heart Association (PHA)
Philippine Neurological Associatioun (PNA)
Philippine Orthopedic Association (POA)
Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA)
Philippine Rheumatology Association (PRA)
Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (PSDBP)
Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID)
Philippine Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (PSPGHAN)
Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (PSAAI)
Philippine Society of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN)
Philippine Society Of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (PSO-HNS)
Philippines Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO)
Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPI)
Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (AIHO)
ANG NARS
Asia Pacific Center for Evidence Based Health Care (APCEBH)
Asia-Oceania Research Organization on Gynecologic Infections and Neoplasia (AOGIN)
Child Neurology Society (CNS)
Health Care Professionals for Christ (HCPC)
Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina (KMI)
Pain Society of the Philippines
Pediatric Nephrology Society of the Philippines (PNSP)
Philippine Ambulatory Pediatrics Association (PAPA)
Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE)
Philippine College of Adult Nephrology (PCAN)
Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Physicians Association
Philippine League Against Epilepsy
Philippine Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society (PLAS)
Philippine Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy (PSGE)
Philippine Society for Gynecologic Pathology and Colposcopy (PSCPC)
Philippine Society for Reproductive Medicine (PSRM)
Philippine Society for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PSSOO)
Philippine Society for Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (PSURPS)
Philippine Society of Cardiovascular Catherization and Interventions (PSCCI)
Philippine Society of Climacteric Medicine (PSCM)
Philippine Society of Critical Care Medicine (PSCCM)
Philippine Society of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology (PSECP)
Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH)
Philippine Society of Newborn Medicine (PSNBM)
Philippine Society of Pediatric Hematology (PSPH)
Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians (PSPHP)
Philippine Society of Reproductive Immunologists (PSRI)
Philippine Spine Society (PSS)
Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of the Philippines (SGOP)
Singh-Vergeire was among three DOH officials who left their posts late July. She was a part of the DOH Executive Committee (Execom), and was a Career Executive Service Officer (CESO).
DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo noted that the decisions for their exit cannot be disclosed.
'Decisions of Execom members leading to their separation from the service (e.g., retirement, resignation, etc.) are personal in nature and treated with the utmost respect as to privacy,' he said. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News
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As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the list of signatories were as follows: Philippine Medical Association (PMA) Philippine Association of Medical Technologists (PAMET) Philippine League of Government and Private Midwives (PLGPM) Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) Philippine Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecology Society (POGS) Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) Philippine Academic Society of Social and Community Medicine (PASCOM) Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology (PAO) Philippine Academy of Pediatric Pulmonologists (PAPP) Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM) Philippine Association of Nutrition (PAN) Philippine Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (PAPRAS) Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM) Philippine College of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (PCEDM) Philippine College of Geriatric Medicine (PCGM) Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM) Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) Philippine Heart Association (PHA) Philippine Neurological Associatioun (PNA) Philippine Orthopedic Association (POA) Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) Philippine Rheumatology Association (PRA) Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (PSDBP) Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) Philippine Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (PSPGHAN) Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (PSAAI) Philippine Society of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN) Philippine Society Of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (PSO-HNS) Philippines Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO) Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPI) Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (AIHO) ANG NARS Asia Pacific Center for Evidence Based Health Care (APCEBH) Asia-Oceania Research Organization on Gynecologic Infections and Neoplasia (AOGIN) Child Neurology Society (CNS) Health Care Professionals for Christ (HCPC) Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina (KMI) Pain Society of the Philippines Pediatric Nephrology Society of the Philippines (PNSP) Philippine Ambulatory Pediatrics Association (PAPA) Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE) Philippine College of Adult Nephrology (PCAN) Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Physicians Association Philippine League Against Epilepsy Philippine Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society (PLAS) Philippine Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy (PSGE) Philippine Society for Gynecologic Pathology and Colposcopy (PSCPC) Philippine Society for Reproductive Medicine (PSRM) Philippine Society for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PSSOO) Philippine Society for Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (PSURPS) Philippine Society of Cardiovascular Catherization and Interventions (PSCCI) Philippine Society of Climacteric Medicine (PSCM) Philippine Society of Critical Care Medicine (PSCCM) Philippine Society of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology (PSECP) Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH) Philippine Society of Newborn Medicine (PSNBM) Philippine Society of Pediatric Hematology (PSPH) Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians (PSPHP) Philippine Society of Reproductive Immunologists (PSRI) Philippine Spine Society (PSS) Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of the Philippines (SGOP) Singh-Vergeire was among three DOH officials who left their posts late July. 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