BY FLORY ANN TACUBAN
ILOILO – Tubungan being a geographically-isolated and disadvantaged area, its rural health unit (RHU) has been operating with temporary doctors after the Municipal Health Officer retired on Dec. 31, 2018.
The RHU is struggling to find a permanent doctor to address the townspeople’s medical needs, especially those from remote areas. When medical emergencies arise, no resident doctor could immediately serve patients.
Doctors assigned by the Department of Health (DOH) come and go on renewable job order contracts.
Mayor Roquito Tacsagon said the hiring of a permanent RHU doctor has become difficult due to the Civil Service Localization Program requiring an applicant to be a native to the assigned area.
“We announced we’re hiring interested Tubunganon doctors but unfortunately no native doctors applied,” Tacsagon said.
According to the mayor, DOH Region 6 pointed to the compensation offered by the LGU as another reason for the difficulty.
“Doctors doing private practice earn a lot, not less than P5,000 per day. On the other hand, the compensation of LGU doctors is based on government-determined salary grade. You can’t do anything about it,” said Tacsagon.
The municipal government tried tapping DOH’s Doctor to the Barrio Program. Dr. Salvacion dela Cruz, DOH Region 6’s medical officer IV, was provisionally deployed to Tubungan from Sept. 9 to 30.
Then Dr. Eduardo Fillaro applied – the sole applicant, according to Tacsagon.
Fillaro was immediately taken in; he started working on Oct. 1.
“Dr. Fillaro is now processing his papers to be employed by the DOH as permanent doctor, according to Tacsagon, and if he stays in Tubungan for six months he could be considered a resident by then,” Tacsagon added.
Roqueta Gonzales, a resident, said he looks forward to seeing Tubungan’s RHU having a permanent doctor.
“Tuod nga may ospital sa Guimbal pero rayo. Kun taga-bukid kaw maplete ka pa. Kun may doctor lang man sa sentro, pareho lang man serbisyo,” said Roqueta.
Marivic Matillano, a local health worker, agreed. “Naluoy kami nga gadulhog ang tawo dya sa banwa para magpakonsulta, pay wara ti doctor. Nugon plete na kag oras. Indi man bi naton mapaktan kun sin-o ang ma-assign duman,” she said./PN
