THE Provincial Government has promoted five hospital chiefs and 19 other doctors from their contractual status to regular.
Promoting medical staff to regular employees gives additional savings to Capitol, said Provincial Budget Officer Danilo Rodas.
The doctors took their oath before Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III last week.
The five regular chiefs of hospital are Drs. Nerlinda Maraguinot of Badian District Hospital, James Nicholas Najarro of Bantayan District Hospital, Abraham Maderazo of Daanbantayan District Hospital, Ellen dela Cruz of Juan Dosado Memorial Hospital and Renato Cairo of Oslob District Hospital.
The doctors who were promoted to higher positions are Zoraida Yurango and Jojie Padilla of Bogo Provincial Hospital, and Mary Ann Laurel of Danao Provincial Hospital.
The 16 other doctors belong to the different district hospitals.
Dr. Wilson Anthony Egos, who was newly-hired as Medical Officer IV at the Provincial Health Office (PHO), also took his oath as regular staff.
Outsourcing
Since last year, Davide stopped outsourcing doctors and medical personnel in the 16 provincial and district hospitals.
The Provincial Health Office has a budget of P409 million this year.
Of this, P175 million was intended for the “other professional services,” which include salaries for outsourced, job-order and contractual doctors and nurses.
Rodas told Sun.Star Cebu that salaries of the doctors who are now in permanent positions will be taken from the “personal services” of the provincial and district hospitals where they are assigned.
He said the regular positions that the doctors filled are in the existing plantilla of the hospitals.
“The ‘other professional services’ budget of the PHO will turn into savings of the Capitol and may be used if there is a need to hire contractual doctors to help the permanent ones,” Rodas said.
Provincial Information Officer Ethel Natera said uplifting the health services has been a thrust of the governor.
“Iyang gusto regular doctors dili na outsourced (The governor wants regular doctors and no longer outsourced personnel from private manpower agencies),” Natera said.
Once doctors are in permanent positions, she said they will be given training to improve their performance.
Natera said that Provincial Board Member Peter John Calderon, chair of the committee on public health and social welfare, and the PHO arranged for a scheme that doctors will be well-compensated.
Earlier, Davide said that by giving permanent positions to medical personnel, there is an assurance that Capitol’s medical services and programs will continue.