Capitol mulls hiring doctors, nurses

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2016/09/15/capitol-mulls-hiring-doctors-nurses-497748
• Wednesday, September 14, 2016

By Oscar C. Pineda

GOV. Hilario Davide III said that the Provincial Government of Cebu will accommodate rural doctors and nurses under the Department of Health (DOH) who will be displaced next year.

Davide issued the statement yesterday following the announcement of the health department on its plan to reduce the number of rural health doctors and nurses next year.

The expected reduction of health personnel is the result of the National Government’s implementation of the Salary Standardization Law.

In Cebu alone, there are 630 nurses and 18 doctors under DOH that are assigned in the different government facilities in the province, said Provincial Health Office (PHO) Head Dr. Rene Catan.

Catan said that the plan to reduce the number of doctors would have a huge effect on the delivery of public health services. But if the Capitol will take them in, it would be better for the province.

“But they will have to apply, and if they qualify with our standards we will take them in,” said Davide.

Dr. Niño Ismael Pastor said that the nurses are evenly distributed in all 44 towns and 7 cities.

Of the 67 doctors assigned at the Municipal Health Office and Rural Health Office (RHUs), 16 of them are under DOH. These 16 doctors are assigned to serve for the Doctors to the Barrio Program. Half of these doctors are expected to end their services for the program next month.

The remaining 51 doctors are hired by the local government unit (LGU).

Davide said that the Capitol needs more doctors and other health personnel for its four provincial hospitals and 12 district hospitals.

“From this group nga makuhaan og trabaho, anha ta makapili og maayong nurses ug doctors,” said Davide.

The governor said that once the Province managed to hire these doctors, he plans to assign them back to the RHUs on special assignment, particularly in Dalaguete or Minglanilla.

Davide did not mention the salary rate of the doctors if they would be hired by the Province.

He, however, said that apart from the salary that the doctors would be receiving from the Province they would also get their shares from the PhilHealth and district hospitals.

Catan said that the Province is in the process of upgrading the categories of its four provincial hospitals from level one to level two.

Catan said that the four district hospitals need to increase its bed capacity from 50 to 150, and more hospital personnel like radiology technician, medical technologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists are needed.

These four provincial hospitals also need to become blood collecting units (BCU).

The Carcar City Provincial Hospital is now serving as a provincial blood collecting unit, though the collected bloods are still processed in the regional BCU.