DOCTORS can start working as job-order (JO) employees of the Cebu Provincial Government. This is to address the shortage of doctors in the province.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia made the announcement on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020.
The governor assured those considering applying that they will be well compensated. However, they won’t receive the same rates as regulars, she said.
“So the best thing that we could offer was to put them on a contract of service. Their take- home (pay) would still be lower, but it would be based on today’s industry rates,” she said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The Province, though, has no problem with the number of its nurses.
According to Dr. Sheila Faciol, Public Health Division chief, Province-run hospitals in the cities of Bogo, Carcar and Danao and Balamban town need 10 doctors each, or a total of 40 doctors.
She said the list of applicants for the hospitals in Danao City and Balamban is almost complete. But so far, only four applicants have shown interest in Carcar City and three applicants in Bogo City.
Faciol said a JO doctor will receive between P20,000 and P22,000 a month.
The governor said after they’re hired, they will undergo a performance evaluation. Those who do well in the evaluation will be hired as regular employees of the Province.
“We are also closely watching the performance of these doctors because if they show a good performance, then definitely we can consider. Later on, they can become regular employees. So that also becomes like a test to them six months as a JO,” Garcia said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Meanwhile, the Province is pushing local government units under its jurisdiction to submit requirements as the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law nears.
On Thursday, Jan. 9, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is expected to visit the Capitol to launch the UHC in the province.
The event will be held at the Capitol Social Hall with municipal health officers and health and nongovernment organization partners in attendance.
“I understand that Secretary Duque will be coming over to launch because I think he also looks at Cebu as the biggest pilot province,” Garcia said. (ANV / PJB)