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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Docs, nurses want hike in monthly pay
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
UNDENIABLY, the mass exodus of government doctors and nurses to foreign countries have affected most hospitals, including some of the district and provincial hospitals in Negros Occidental.
One of them is the Jose Locsin Memorial Provincial Hospital in Silay City.
Dr. Vicente Iturriaga, Medical Specialist II at the hospital, said most of the staff at their medicine department, composed of their practicing doctors and nurses, have already left for abroad, while some doctors have taken second courses as nurses, also in preparation for working abroad.
Iturriaga stressed that the main problem is the low salary that government doctors and nurses are receiving.
Based on the present monthly rate, a Provincial Government doctor with the lowest position of medical officer 4 receives only P19,000 per month, while medical specialists receive between P20,000 to P25,000 monthly, depending on the level of specialization.
As for the nurses, they receive an average of P7,000 to P15,000 monthly, depending also on their position level.
"The present rate we have is not really enough for a medical staff who works for almost 24 hours everyday," Iturriaga said.
"That's why when I asked some of the nurses and my fellow doctors what really their demands are, they simply told me that if the government will pay the nurses P30,000 monthly and P40,000 for the doctors, then they won't leave the country," Iturriaga disclosed.
This reality, he said has really saddened them.
In fact, he said the problem is also existing in 13 other districts and provincial hospitals in the province.
"I hope this problem will be addressed immediately before it becomes too late for the Provincial Government," Iturriaga added.
Meanwhile, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Luisa Efren said they are hopeful that the bill proposed by opposition Representative Francisco Escudero for the substantial increase on the wages of government medical practitioners will be passed.
She said they are also banking on the proposal of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III during the recent budget hearing in Congress to effect a 30-percent increase on the salaries of government doctors and nurses starting January next year.
Efren also said with the newly organized Philippine Association of Government Physicians Inc. (Pagpi), the proposed bills will be monitored for the sake of the government physicians.
Pagpi will also draft a resolution that will request the Congress, Senate and Department of Health for the proposed salary increase of government medical workers.
She said Efren, Escudero and Duque's proposals are simply meant to prevent government doctors and nurses all over the country to resign and work abroad.
She revealed that a government doctor in the country is receiving only about $250 a month.
This is very low compared to those in other countries whose government doctors are receiving as much as $2,000 to $3,000 per month, or an equivalent of P150,000 more or less.
Thus, Filipino doctors and nurses cannot be blamed for their desire to leave the country and work abroad.
"It's for greener pasture, actually," stressed Efren.
But, at least, she said the governor is very responsive and sensitive to the needs of our provincial doctors and nurses.
In fact every year, she said, "the Province is increasing our hazard pay. And in 2007, we could probably attain the 100 percent increase."
At present, provincial doctors and nurses are receiving an average monthly hazard pay of P1,000 only.
(December 6, 2005 issue)
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