Dr. David Capó, whose two-month contract to serve as a state epidemiologist expired on Sunday, decided not to accept an extension of the treatment offered by the secretary of Health, Lorenzo González, because the new responsibilities did not include issues directly related to epidemiology, confirmed the former official.
But, El Nuevo Día learned from sources that Capó, who began his duties with a contract of $ 16,000 per month on April 1, had been excluded from all functions related to epidemiology and the management of COVID-19 pandemic by officials of the Environmental Health Division of the Department of Health.
“If it is a matter of giving recommendations to the Secretary of Health of my country, so that my people are well, that is why I cannot charge”, said Capó, a pediatrician and epidemiologist who before being recruited to serve as a state epidemiologist worked with the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control of the United States government.
Capó’s decision assumes that Puerto Rico is left without a state epidemiologist again in the midst of the worst pandemic of the century. The previous state epidemiologist, Carmen Deseda, resigned in mid-March. It was not known until Governor Wanda Vázquez revealed it at a press conference on March 26.
Capó was not officially recruited as a “state epidemiologist”. But it was reported that his duties would be to “lead the efforts of the Epidemiology Office” of the Health Department, according to the time of his appointment, Eric Perlloni, then agency spokesman, said at the time of his appointment. Furthermore, Health has not designated another epidemiologist from the State since Deseda’s resignation.
Hood began its duties on April 1. Secretary González said Friday, and a Health Department press spokesperson reiterated this morning, that the intention was to renew the contract for Capó, who, according to El Nuevo Día, has not been paid a penny of the $ 32,000 that accrued while on duty. Capó and González spoke around noon today. After hearing González’s offer, Capó decided not to accept it.
Secretary González was not available to react to Capó’s determination.
Capó was appointed in principle by recommendation of the medical “task force” that advises the governor on the subject of COVID-19. In the Health Department, he was immediately viewed with suspicion because he does not come from the ranks of partisan politics and had no relationship with any of the influence groups within the agency, according to sources.
Two sources interviewed separately said that, since his second week in office, Capó began to be marginalized by agency personnel who assumed the functions that are supposed to be the state epidemiologist. He learned of meetings and efforts related to managing the pandemic after they had occurred. He was blocked from access to the press. The initiatives that he took were replicated by others in the agency without giving him participation, which caused duplication of efforts in the midst of the pandemic.
At first it was seen only as a link to the “task force”. When some members of the “task force” began to become involved in controversies and the group, thus losing influence, it was basically left without any role. Sources also said that Capó’s participations were blocked by Health personnel, which is the trust of external contractors with great influence on the agency.
One of the main frustrations of the official was that he was not allowed to start the contact tracking system designed by Dr. Juan Carlos Reyes, a member of the “task force”, and which he handed over to the Health Department in early April. The plan was never implemented, and in recent weeks, Capó has not even contacted the fledgling contact tracking system the agency has tried unsuccessfully to implement.
When Capó was asked about it, he simply stated that the offer made to him was to advise González in general terms, with nothing to do with epidemiology. “From now on I will continue to contribute in everything that is needed, but only as an epidemiologist who loves this country,” said Capó, who hopes to return to his previous job at Abarca Health, a private benefits management company. pharmacy.
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