Health secretary says PH Covid response uncomparable to other nations

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III stated that comparing the Philippines' COVID-19 response to other nations is pointless due to the country's fragmented health system.

Duque explained that the Local Government Code has devolved many Department of Health services to local government units, which he acknowledged as a weakness contributing to response delays.

He argued that a fragmented health system makes response efforts more difficult compared to a unified, integrated system.

Duque noted that prior to the Local Government Code, the Department of Health operated more like a centralized command where directives from the Secretary were strictly followed by all levels.