CALAMBA CITY, Laguna — A top official of the Department of Health (DOH) Calabarzon Regional Office has called on development partners to help resolve the shortage of health workers in the region, which comprises the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
Dr. Eduardo C. Janairo, DOH Calabarzon regional director, made the call in a regional report on Wednesday after spearheading the “Collaborative Meeting with Development Partners” in the region at Midas Hotel in Pasay City on October 18 to 19.
“We are in need of 391 doctors, 1,233 midwives and 25 more nurses to achieve the priority human resources development goal and to guarantee quality health services for all of the population,” Janairo said.
Data obtained from the Health Facility Operations and Development Unit (HFODU) as of 2017 revealed that Cavite has only 63 physicians; 202 public health nurses (PHN), and 343 rural health midwives (RHM) while Laguna has 88 physicians, 157 PHN, and 411 RHM.
On the other hand, Batangas employs 48 physicians, 111 PHN and 341 RHM; Rizal with 84 physicians, 155 PHN and 193 RHM; and Quezon with 67 physicians, 120 PHN and 440 RHM.
Calabarzon Region has a total of 65 government health facilities and 149 private hospitals.
These figures cover Cavite with a total 11 public and 45 private hospitals; Laguna — 15 public and 39 private hospitals; Batangas — 15 public and 34 private; Rizal — eight public and 16 private; and Quezon has 16 public and 15 private health facilities.
“Health personnel is a key factor in achieving universal health care. An adequate human resource will ensure the implementation of any health care program,” Janairo said.
In view of the situation, Janairo disclosed that the regional health office will introduce tactical stop gap measures for immediate implementation.
“We need immediate output and outcome to address these insufficiencies. By adapting the whole of government approach, such as working with a unified goal, complementing and in concurrence with health services organizations, the academic sector and the health authorities, we can place the right people in the right places, achieving an equitable distribution of health professionals and skill sets throughout all geographic areas of the region,” he said.
During the consultative meeting with health partners, DOH Calabarzon Medical Officer IV Dr. Wyda D. Berina also explained the composition and tasks of the HFODU.
Also, Dr. Susana C. Castillo, head of the DOH Calabarzon HFODU presented assessments on the regional human resources situation in the health management and operations and identified gaps in the management of health facilities.
The collaborative meeting aims to familiarize health partners in the current health situation of the Calabarzon Region and build consensus among partner agencies in formulating strategies to address the shortage in health human resource and in defining approaches to overcome the critical challenges in the operation and management of the region’s health facilities.
The meeting also identified gaps, among them inadequate hospital staff, unfilled vacant positions, multi-tasking, excess duties, performs beyond job description, no trained personnel to complement available equipment and inadequate capability for patient transport.(Saul Pa-a/PNA)
