By The Star Staff
The island Senate on Monday confirmed, by voice vote, the appointment of Dr. Víctor Ramos Otero as secretary of the Department of Health, after receiving a positive report from the Innovation, Reform, and Appointments Committee, chaired by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz.
The vote came after Ramos faced allegations in a public hearing last Friday from Puerto Rico Physicians and Surgeons Association President Carlos Díaz Vélez, who accused him of a lack of capacity and alleged irregularities while he presided over the institution, including a $125,000 loan and the use of $1.4 million from medical investors for a health plan that never materialized.
“I congratulate Dr. Víctor Ramos on his confirmation as Secretary of Health. I thank the legislative body for its advice and consent,” Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said in a statement on social media. “Let us continue working together with commitment and a sense of urgency for the health and quality of life of our people.”
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) delegation voted against the appointment. PDP Senate Minority Leader Javier Hernández Ortiz said the allegations against Ramos were supported by documents submitted at the Friday hearing before the Senate’s Full Committee. Puerto Rican Independence Party Sen. María de Lourdes Santiago also voted against the appointment as did Dignity Project Sen. Joanne Rodríguez Veve, who questioned the nominee’s shifting stance on issues such as abortion, mandatory vaccination, gender ideology, and sex-change procedures. She stated that the nominee demonstrated different positions during the evaluation process.
Meanwhile, senators from the majority New Progressive Party, such as Juan Oscar Morales, who chairs the Health Committee, defended the appointment, arguing that Ramos presented sufficient evidence to refute the accusations and highlighting his management during the pandemic.
For his part, Ramos said: “I deeply appreciate the trust the Puerto Rican Senate has placed in me by granting me permission to serve as Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico. I also once again thank Governor Jenniffer González Colón for her continued support. This support is not for one person, but rather for a clear vision of how to strengthen and transform our health system for the benefit of our people, as entrusted to us by the Governor of Puerto Rico, and her government plan, which includes 28 strategic areas to strengthen public health, which I will ensure are implemented. Always with God in mind, I assume this responsibility with humility, commitment, and the determination to work hand in hand with all sectors, as I have always done throughout my life. Today begins a new stage in which dialogue, action, and teamwork will be key to guaranteeing an accessible, efficient, and dignified health system for all Puerto Ricans.”
The now confirmed health secretary added that he is “[f]ocused on working as I have done since I took office, without distractions.”
In addition to Ramos’ appointment, the Senate approved the appointments of Ángel Jiménez Colón as commissioner of the Bureau of Emergency Management and Disaster Administration, and Juan Carlos Santaella Marchán as executive director of the Gaming Commission. Other appointments, including prosecutors, were also evaluated.
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