LESS THAN A month after being tapped to lead the graft-tainted Department of Health (DOH), Secretary Jose Pujalte Jr. reportedly “resigned for health reasons.”
In a press briefing held in Malacañang, lawyer Claire Castro in her capacity as Palace Press Officer said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already accepted Pujalte’s resignation.
“Ang naipaabot ay kusang nag-resign si Dr. Pujalte dahil na rin sa kanyang kalusugan,” Castro said.
When asked as to who would act as the agency’s officer-in-charge, Castro told reporters that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already appointed Dr. Edwin Mercado as the Health Secretary.
VERY SHORT STINT
Pujalte was three days short of reaching the first month of his stint as DOH chief. He was appointed on July 13, replacing Dr. Ted Herbosa, who also reportedly resigned for health reasons.
Prior to his “resignation,” Pujalte had been a subject of complaints over new policies and allegations of being hooked to gambling.
Health advocates and health workers earlier asked the Ombudsman to dismiss Pujalte over the alleged “whimsical” suspension of the procurement of tuberculosis drugs and other TB-related commodities.
DR. MERCADO WHO?
Before his appointment as PhilHealth chief, Mercado had served as vice chairman of the Mercado General Hospital/Qualimed Health Network since March 2021.
Mercado earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines in 1987.
He later completed an Executive Master’s in Healthcare Administration at the University of North Carolina in the United States and obtained a Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery from Harvard Medical School in 2023.
Mercado has also worked with the Zuellig Family Foundation and several DOH Centers for Health Development, providing technical assistance to provincial health boards in establishing and operating healthcare provider networks, the PCO said.
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