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[av_heading heading=’Wanted: Doctors for district hospitals ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY GENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO – District hospitals lack doctors. Provincial Administrator Raul Banias is wondering why. The compensation is competitive, he stressed.
The provincial government started scouting for 596 additional personnel for Iloilo’s 12 district hospitals in 2015 yet.
These hospital personnel included doctors, nurses and medical technologists, among others.
“Ang tanan nga need namon to address the manpower gap gin-hire namon. We allotted tens of millions for that. Ang problema wala sang may ga-apply,” said Banias who also heads the Hospital Management Office of the provincial government.
Perhaps the remoteness of the hospitals from the city turns the doctors off, said Banias, himself a physician.
He cited as example the Jesus M. Colmenares District Hospital in Balasan town.
“Balasan is a very distant hospital. Wala may ga-apply. We need medical specialists such as anesthesiologists, OB-Gyne and pediatrician didto,” said Banias.
Balasan is 129 kilometers north of Iloilo City.
The Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Calinog also lacked two doctors, said Banias.
Calinog is 58 kilometers from Iloilo City.
“That is why we are asking the chiefs of hospitals nga buligan naton convince ang mga doctors to take the opportunity to work (in district hospitals),” said Banias.
Medical societies are also being wooed, he revealed.
“Aside from regular compensation, they will also receive shares from PhilHealth that are sometimes bigger than their salaries,” said Banias.
The salary of district hospital doctors – medical officer, medical specialist or chief of hospital – averages P45,000 monthly.
“The most favored employees sa bilog nga capitol are the doctors and medical personnel sa district hospitals,” Banias said. “Kon compensation lang, we are making millionaires of our doctors.”
For 2016 alone, said Banias, the professional fee for all the province’s medical and nonmedical hospital staff reached P214,073,999.
“The share of the doctors of every hospital is net of taxes (32 percent) and for the nonmedical it is still gross and the 32 percent tax has still to be deducted,” Banias explained.
Added Banias: “We are paying well our hospital staff. We have implemented the second tranche of salary increase. The third tranche will be implemented beginning January 2018. We also have given the Magna Carta for Health in full.”
Provincial government-run district hospitals cater mostly to poor Iloilo patients. They are the following:
* Aleosan District Hospital in Barangay Bancal, Alimodian
* Barotac Viejo District Hospital in Barangay San Lucas, Barotac Viejo
* Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Dalid, Calinog
* Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital on Alfelor Street, Passi City
* Dr. Ricardo Y. Ladrido Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Poblacion, Ilawod, Lambunao
* Ramon D. Duremdes District Hospital in Barangay Ilaya 1st, Dumangas
* Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Jibolo, Janiuay
* Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Barangay Rumbang, Pototan
* Jesus M. Colmenares Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Tingui-an, Balasan
* Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Pungtod, Cabatuan
* Rep. Pedro G. Trono Memorial District Hospital on Garriel Street, Guimbal
* Sara District Hospital in Barangay Anoring, Sara./PN
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