Doctors quit Cagayan de Oro gov’t hospital

18 resign amid low pay, lack of facilities, drugs
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines—More than half of the number of doctors at a government hospital here have quit over low pay, long working hours, and lack of facilities and medicines, it was learned Wednesday.

The resignations came one after the other, and the news first came out last week in a blog maintained by employees of J.R. Borja City Hospital.

Dr. Philip Medalle, hospital chief, on Wednesday confirmed the resignation of the doctors. “Eighteen (doctors) had already asked to be transferred (to private hospitals),” he said.

The hospital has a total of 35 doctors.

According to the blog, the doctors who quit had become disgruntled over the way the hospital was being managed. They complained of being underpaid and overworked, it said.

Disappointment

They were also disappointed over the alleged lack of concern by the city government on the hospital’s condition, including the lack of facilities and lack of medicines.

Medalle admitted that public physicians are indeed paid low compared to those in private hospitals, but added that this was because local governments had no funds for salary increases.

As to allegations that the doctors at the city hospital were overworked, he said any public physician knew that for a fact and should not complain about it.

“Public doctors should always expect longer working hours,” he said.

With the resignation of the doctors, Medalle said the services of the city hospital were really suffering.

“This is why we have limited our out-patient consultations,” he said.

The hospital also no longer accepts patients on weekends, Medalle said.

Politics

A senior hospital employee, who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak on the matter, said the resignations were a reaction to the city government’s rejection of a proposal to convert the hospital into an extension of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).

The NMMC is a regional hospital supported with bigger funds from the national government.

“It would have ensured quality service for the hospital but the problem was politics got in the way,” the source said.

Dr. Jaime Bernadas, health regional director, said the Department of Health was ready to fill up the vacant posts left by the doctors but added that the city government had to make a formal request first.

“So far, we have not received any request from the city government, but rest assured, we will respond to the needs of patients there,” he said.

Many government hospitals are suffering from a shortage of doctors and nurses as hundreds of graduates of medical and nursing courses prefer to work abroad.

Those who choose to stay prefer working in private hospitals where pay is better. By Ma. Cecilia Rodriguez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:25:00 06/18/2009