The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc (PHAPi) is recommending Ted Herbosa, medical adviser of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 as the next secretary of health.

"We are recommending someone and hopefully he will be accepted by President-elect (Ferdinand) Marcos to be the next secretary of health but of course the final decision will still come from him. We recommend Dr. Ted (Teodoro Herbosa," Jose De Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc (PHAPi) said during Thursday's "Laging Handa" public briefing.

De Grano said different medical societes and even the Philippine Medical Association also recommended Herbosa to be the next health secretary.

De Grano said it is important that Marcos will be able to name the next health secretary before he take over the position on June 30."I think, maybe before President-elect starts, he should already name the next health secretary. And we in the medical community are expecting that (the next health secretary is someone) who can help our doctors, hospitals and different healthcare facilities," he said.

Before he was appointed as the National Task Force against COVID-19, Herbosa was executive vice president of the University of the Philippines System and division of trauma chief in the department of surgery at the Philippine General Hospital. Robina Asido/DMS