DOH OIC vows continuity of ‘great’ programs

Newly appointed officer-in-charge of the Department of Health (DOH), Dr. Herminigildo Valle, said Friday he will continue “the great programs” that the agency has set in place. (Photo: DOH)

MANILA — Newly appointed officer-in-charge of the Department of Health (DOH), Dr. Herminigildo Valle, said Friday he will continue “the great programs” that the agency has set in place.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Valle said he will improve and ensure PhilHealth coverage for all Filipinos and give priority to providing health services in difficult-to-reach areas.

He said he will work to achieve zero out-of-pocket expenses for the poor and reverse current trends on the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis, as well as abolish malnutrition.

The native of Davao City said he will also ensure zero unmet needs in family planning; blood adequacy; robust IT development; 100 percent community-based rehabilitation; and ISO certification of health facilities.

Aside from these, Valle hopes to increase local government unit health financial support; attain zero open-pit defecation; promote disaster resiliency and preparedness; and address human resource deficiency.

Valle was named DOH OIC in a memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea dated Oct. 10, after the Commission on Appointment rejected Dr. Paulyn Ubial.

Valle finished Medical Technology at the Far Eastern University and graduated cum laude as Doctor of Medicine.

In 1985, he served as a rural physician in Marilog district, Davao City but continued his training in the United States, finishing his General Surgery Internship at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, his Internal Medicine Residency at Long Island College Hospital, also in New York, and his Vascular Medicine Fellowship in Cleveland, Ohio.

He served as medical director/CEO at the San Francisco Vascular Institute and assistant clinical professor at the University of California San Francisco, and was the first Filipino chief of staff at the Seton Medical Center in San Mateo County, California.

“(It) is a big challenge and opportunity for me to lead the DOH to deliver its mandate of providing health care service to our fellowmen,” Valle said.

“I will run this agency based on the fundamental tenet that everyone has the right to equitable and accessible health care, along with the presidential directives of making sure that the poor are provided for, champion the fight against drug dependency, and weed out corruption in the agency,” he added.