R1MC brass suspended
DAGUPAN CITY,—The Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC), a government-run hospital here confirmed the preventive suspension issued against its chief along with some doctors and nurses.
Dr. Michael Canto, R1MC spokesperson, said Dr. Joseph Roland Mejia, is temporarily replaced by Dr. Emmanuel Acluba effective June 26.
The suspension order issued by the Department of Health (DOH) was signed by Sec. Enrique Ona.
Dr. Myrna Cabotaje, DOH regional director, said in a radio interview that “it was a preventive suspension” which is a normal process while a probe is being conducted to prevent any obstruction in the investigation.
“I would like to emphasize that it is a preventive suspension, that is part of due process,” she said.
She said based on findings of their internal audit that checks the transactions of the hospitals under the DOH, auditors noted some inconsistencies that were enough to warrant an investigation, thus the preventive suspension of Mejia. ”
“During the course of the preventive suspension, Mejia might be cleared or not depending on the findings of the team that conducts the probe,” Cabotaje added.
Canto refused to disclose the details of the investigation.
The suspension is effective for a maximum 90-day period.
Acluba is chief of Cagayan Valley Medical Center which is similar in bed capacity and status of R1MC. It is not clear if Acluba is designated in a concurrent capacity.
Canto gave an assurance that there is no disruption in the hospital’s operations since the there are enough trained manpower for all the center’s services.
R1MC and Cagayan Valley Medical Center have the same category so the DOH secretary saw to it that Acluba would be in a similar standing with Mejia, Cabotaje said.- Tita Roces and Hilda M. Austria
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