MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa has appointed Tony Leachon as the new special adviser for non-communicable diseases.
In a statement, the Department of Health said on Friday that Leachon’s appointment would be “beneficial to the Filipino people as he has exemplary knowledge and experience in the medical field.”
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Leachon previously served as a COVID-19 task force adviser until his resignation in June 2020. He is a cardiologist currently working at the Manila Doctors' Hospital.
In a tweet, Leachon said that he is "honored to have the trust" of Herbosa and "be recognized for our collaborative work through the years."
“It’s about time to work together to meet the huge challenges in healthcare,” he said.
Leachon left the government's COVID-19 task force in 2020 after he called on then-Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to "step up" in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon his resignation, Leachon said he felt he was made to resign and that his way of communicating did not "align with the communication strategy of the Palace." — with reports by Gaea Katreena Cabico