30 November 2005
Drug test for WPDH staff up to check doc’s claim
ALAMINOS CITY – An investigation is now going on to determine the veracity of the allegation of a ranking official of the Department of Health regional office that some of the personnel of a government hospital in Pangasinan are using prohibited and or regulated drugs even while on duty.
Provincial Administrator Virgilio Solis has ordered an investigaton of all personnel of the provincial government-run Western Pangasinan District Hospital in this city, some of whom were reported to be using prohibited and or regulated drugs.
The allegation came from Dr. Reynaldo Jacinto, chief of the standards and regulatory division of the Department of Health regional office and also chief of the Bureau of Food and Drugs in the region, who said some of these personnel are even administering these prohibited and illegal drugs to themselves.
Jacinto however has not substantiated his allegation, including his earlier disturbing claim that some doctors of government hospitals in Pangasinan were prescribing and dispensing counterfeit or fake medicines to their patients.
Nevertheless, Solis ordered WPDH officer-in-charge Susan Meriño to conduct the investigation on the matter while he (Solis) conducts his own discreet investigation.
Meriño said he already met some of her personnel last Friday who even agreed to voluntarily submit themselves to drug test in order to disprove Jacinto’s “very sweeping” allegation.
Solis said Jacinto should be man enough to substantiate his allegation by naming names of WPDH personnel concerned because unless he does this, every doctor and nurse in that hospital are suspects.
A lawyer, Solis said he cannot prevent the employees from filing cases for damages against Jacinto if the result of the drug test will show they are negative of prohibited and or regulated drugs because the latter’s allegation has ridiculed and scandalized their lives. (PNA)
Provincial Administrator Virgilio Solis has ordered an investigaton of all personnel of the provincial government-run Western Pangasinan District Hospital in this city, some of whom were reported to be using prohibited and or regulated drugs.
The allegation came from Dr. Reynaldo Jacinto, chief of the standards and regulatory division of the Department of Health regional office and also chief of the Bureau of Food and Drugs in the region, who said some of these personnel are even administering these prohibited and illegal drugs to themselves.
Jacinto however has not substantiated his allegation, including his earlier disturbing claim that some doctors of government hospitals in Pangasinan were prescribing and dispensing counterfeit or fake medicines to their patients.
Nevertheless, Solis ordered WPDH officer-in-charge Susan Meriño to conduct the investigation on the matter while he (Solis) conducts his own discreet investigation.
Meriño said he already met some of her personnel last Friday who even agreed to voluntarily submit themselves to drug test in order to disprove Jacinto’s “very sweeping” allegation.
Solis said Jacinto should be man enough to substantiate his allegation by naming names of WPDH personnel concerned because unless he does this, every doctor and nurse in that hospital are suspects.
A lawyer, Solis said he cannot prevent the employees from filing cases for damages against Jacinto if the result of the drug test will show they are negative of prohibited and or regulated drugs because the latter’s allegation has ridiculed and scandalized their lives. (PNA)
