Mariing pinabulaanan ng pamunuan ng National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) ang mga alegasyon ni dating NCMH Chief Administrative Officer Clarita Avila.
Ito’y makaraang isiwalat ni Avila na 50 na mula sa nasa 83 Psychiatrists ang kasalukuyang nang nakaself-quarantine dahil sa kanilang exposure sa coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) kung saan, 34 sa mga tauhan din nito ang nagpositibo sa virus.
Others are afraid to report because they don’t have PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). We lack the logistics. We lack the supplies to protect them. Parang pupunta sila sa giyera na wala naman silang baril (It’s as if they’re going to war sans guns),” ani Avila sa kaniyang Facebook post.
Ayon sa pinuno ng NCMH na si Dr. Roland Cortez, bagama’t pinayuhan nito si Avila na itigil na nito ang paglalabas ng pahayag gayung hindi na ito tagapagsalita ng institusyon ay hindi pa rin siya nito sinunod.
The NCMH does not tolerate cover-ups of the result of the COVID-19. In fact we are just following the orders of the Department of Health that all reports are submitted daily. All these reports should be vetted first before it is being released to the general public by Undersecretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire,” ani Dr. Cortez.
Nabatid na dahil umano sa iringan nila Dr. Cortez kaya’t inilipat si Avila sa Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DATRC) sa Las Piñas City.
Because of my exposé made to media about the gag order issued to me by Dr. [Roland] Cortez and my exposé about what’s happening inside the NCMH,” ani Avila.
Pero sagot ni Dr. Cortez, bago pa lang ang pagsisiwalat ni Avila ay may nakahain nang mosyon para siya’y mailipat na sa DATRC at wala iyong kinalaman sa inilabas niyang gag order.
She was already trying to create trouble in this institution by giving false information through Facebook. I felt that she was disrupting the on-going reforms that we are doing and was [showing] deliberate disobedience to Civil Service Commission rules,” ani Dr. Cortez.
Una rito, hiniling ni Dr. Cortez sa Department of Health (DOH) na mailipat na si Avila mula sa NCMH dahil sa mga ginagawa nitong paglabag sa alituntunin bagay na kinatigan naman ng kagawaran.
Sa isyu sa kakulangan ng PPE para sa NCMH’s doctors and nurses, ipinunto ni Dr. Cortez na tatagal pa ng 10 hanggang 12 araw ang kasalukuyang supply ng NCMH.
Aniya, may dagdag na PPEs silang inaasahan mula sa iba’t-ibang donors at organisasyon.
I would like to correct the fake news that’s going around on Facebook that the National Center for Mental Health is not accepting donations. That is not true. We have accepted donations ever since and still accept donations up to now,” ani Dr. Cortez.
Paliwanag pa nito, mahigpit na sinusunod ng NCMH ang accounting at auditing rules pagdating sa donasyon kung saan, bawat donasyon ay napupunta sa NCMH’s Material and Management System.
Sa ganitong paraan ani Dr. Cortez ay may transparency at maaring mag-isyu ang NCMH ng required certifications sa anumang uri ng donasyon.
May mga ulat naman nang pagtanggi ni Avila na lisanin ang kanyang posisyon sa NCMH sa kabilang ng transfer order sa kanya ng DOH.
Sa katunayan, tumanggi rin ito na bakantehin ang two-storey cottage na kanyang inuukupa sa NCMH complex.
She was given the privilege to live there [as] the former chief because she was a member of the NCMH Executive Committee and [also] as the chief administrative officer of the institution. As a member of the Executive Committee, she herself signed a resolution that says that if you cease to be a member of executive committee or the management committee and if you are no longer connected with NCMH, then you must vacate the said cottage,” ani Cortez.
Idinagdag pa ni Cortez na kaya pinili ni Avila na gamitin ang social media sa kanyang isyu sa halip na dumaan sa tamang proseso para matugunan ang kanyang mga hinaing.
Tumanggi din kasi ito na lagdaan ang anumang official documents, at sa katunayan ay hindi rin nagsumite ng Performance Commitment Document na kinakailangan ng batas sa NCMH Human Resource Management Office.
It is unfortunate that she has to insist on dwelling on these issues while the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re all supposed to be focusing on serving the people at this time, yet she is disrupting the health care process with her allegations,” ani Cortez.
