Raising Wages at the Capitol to Attract More Hospital Staff Members
**Cebu Provincial Government Takes Steps to Retain Healthcare Workers and Fill Vacancies**
In response to concerns raised in the comment section of Governor Pamela Baricuatro's Facebook post, the Cebu Provincial Government is implementing a series of measures to retain healthcare workers and fill vacant regular positions. The aim is to address the persistent shortage of medical personnel and upgrade provincial hospitals in terms of infrastructure, equipment, and staffing.
Key measures include increasing the salaries of nurses and doctors across the 16 Capitol-operated hospitals, filling vacant plantilla positions, immediate budget releases for emergency procurement at all Capitol-operated hospitals, exploring partnerships with health organizations, and developing scholarship programs to train and cultivate dedicated healthcare professionals.
Governor Baricuatro signed 12 executive orders on her first full day in office, including the immediate release of a P5 million budget for emergency procurement for each of the 16 Capitol-operated hospitals. The upgrades would elevate infirmaries to Level 1 hospitals, Level 1 to Level 2, and Level 2 to Level 3, impacting 12 district hospitals and four provincial hospitals in Balamban, Carcar, Danao, and Bogo.
Provincial Administrator Joseph "Ace" Durano highlighted the challenge posed by the use of job order (JO) positions as temporary roles, which lack job security and may not encourage long-term retention. He suggested that competitive compensation might help retain healthcare workers, and the Provincial Government is considering increasing salaries for healthcare workers to incentivize them to stay in Cebu.
Governor Baricuato is actively seeking medical practitioners who are Cebuanos and have a heart to help and a passion to serve. She has initiated conversations with health organizations for partnerships and will explore scholarships to develop dedicated healthcare professionals for the province.
These combined efforts reflect a strategic approach by the Cebu Provincial Government to not only attract healthcare workers through improved compensation but also to ensure sustainable staffing by investing in education and partnerships that foster professional development within the province.
[1] Department of Health Recommendations for Hospital Upgrades (2021)
- To further improve the quality of medical services in Cebu, Governor Baricuatro is seeking to partner with healthcare organizations and and establish scholarship programs for medical-conditions and health-and-wellness studies.
- The Cebu Provincial Government's efforts to retain healthcare workers include not only competitive compensation but also an emphasis on science and education, as seen in their pursuit of developing dedicated healthcare professionals.
- With the upgrades to health infrastructure in Cebu, the government aims to elevate certain infirmaries to higher levels, such as Balamban's district hospital moving from a Level 1 to a Level 2 hospital, thereby providing better care for a variety of medical-conditions.
