THE Provincial Government of Negros Occidental hired 18 additional consultants, mostly reliever doctors, for different district hospitals in the province.
The Provincial Board, during its regular session Wednesday, January 31, approved the contracts of services of six consultants for Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.
These are Dr. Celeste Jo Pramio, nephrologist; Dr. Rose Joy David-Vallega, OB-gynecologist; Dr. Jose Revelo, radiologist; Dr. Rachel Zita Ramos, surgeon; Dr. Leni Montes, clinical pathologist; and Engineer Ramon Junsay Jr., electrical engineer.
The Provincial Board also approved the consultancy agreements with seven reliever doctors, including Dr. Nenette Carano-o and Dr. Norma Nemenzo, both at Calatrava District Hospital; Dr. Hasa Mee Saavedra Hagape and Dr. Marjorie Glot Ramos, Eleuterio T. Decena Memorial Hospital; Dr. John Dexter Lopez and Dr. Milavi Lopez, Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital; and Dr. Arnel Jumayao Jr., Governor Valeriano M. Gatuslao Memorial Hospital.
Also hired were Dr. Jeremy John King as consultant at the Department of Radiology of the Eleuterio T. Decena Memorial Hospital; and Dr. Charles Michael Buyco, pathologist at Merceditas J. Montilla District Hospital.
Consultancy agreements for three consultants at Don Salvador Benedicto Memorial District Hospital were also approved.
These include Dr. Mario Go as radiologist, Dr. Hans Francis Ferraris as pathologist, and Dr. Eden Pe-Mesias for anesthesiology.
All 18 consultants have a one-year consultancy period, effective January 1 to December 31, 2018.
Second District Board Member Salvador Escalante Jr., chairman of committee on appropriation, budget and finance, said most of these consultants just renewed their contracts while others were newly-hired.
In terms of salary, Escalante said rates range from P20,000 to P50,000 a month, depending on the service rendered, which is mostly 48 hours a week.
“They prefer to be consultants while continuing their private practice due to lower salary in the government thus, it’s hard for us to hire them as additional permanent doctors in our hospitals,” he added.
All in all, the Provincial Government already hired 34 consultants this year.
The consultancy agreements with other 16 consultants were approved last month, including those of retired Major General Jon Aying for internal security and public safety concerns, and former governor Rafael Coscolluela for investment promotions, trade and export development and inter-agency coordination.