DUE to the increasing population in the Davao City, barangays here are now experiencing a shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives.

Davao City Health Office (CHO) technical officer Dr. Julinda Acosta, in a media forum last week, said the city population has already reached around 1.7 million and the manpower of the city has not increased in number since the 1990s.

She said the CHO is now asking for additional doctors, nurses and midwives, which barangays need most.

As of the moment, Acosta said one midwife handles three barangays and do visits in the assigned areas for health activities.

"May areas na hindi po siya makapunta dahil sa kanyang catchment areas," she said.

Acosta said while the additional manpower is being planned, the Department of Health is now helping the city cope with the shortage through the deployment of Health Human Resource (HRH) and the deployment of the Doctors to the barrios.

She said the city’s doctor to patient ratio is one is to 50,000, which is twice or thrice their ideal number.

Acosta added that in Buhangin District, there is only one doctor catering to 250,000 persons; Toril District has one doctor for 85 barangays; and Talomo North, South, Central have one doctor for 150,000.

"So para maganda ang services, we need doctors talaga, one per 50,000 na ideal talaga and for the nurses one nurse per 20,000 population ang nangyari ngayon may isang nurse per 250,000," Acosta said.

She said the creation of more positions will cater to the shortage.

Another challenge the CHO is also facing right now is the migration of their trained and competent nurses to other countries for greener pastures.

"Last week may aalis for States, may aalis for Canada, ang dami-dami nilang aalis and these are trained nurses, matagal na sa atin. Magaling sila dahil trained sila at alam nila ang programa. They leave us kasi sila ang hinahanap ng other countries," she said.

Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Health chair Dr. Mary Joselle Villafuerte told SunStar Davao yesterday that CHO already made a proposal for the additional health personnel.

"There is already a proposal but I think they are waiting for the budget from the city. There are five new Urban Health Centers in the city. It really needs lots of health professionals," Villafuerte said.