BACOLOD City – The city government is hiring 18 physicians and assign them to barangays.
Three have so far been hired, according to Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committee on health, citing information from City Health Officer Ma. Carmela Gensoli.
The goal is to make healthcare services closer to the barangays.
Puentevella said the hiring of more doctors is an initiative of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez who plans to build more health centers in the barangays.
Bacolod City is made up of 61 barangays with a combined population of 600,783 as of the 2020 census of population. The health centers of many of them were constructed through the effort of Cong. Greg Gasataya of the lone district of Bacolod and Cong. Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod party-list.
Due to budgetary constraints, the hiring of the 18 doctors may be completed by next year yet, said Puentevella.
There is not enough fund for the remainder of 2022 to fully hire the 18 doctors, he explained.
Having barangay health centers with doctors will decongest the City Health Office with patients, said Puentevella./PN
