The Department of Health in Calabarzon recently conducted a “Collaborative Meeting with Development Partners” in Pasay City to commit a coordinated effort and define strategies for overcoming the critical challenges of operating and managing health facilities in the region.
DOH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said the meeting will familiarize health partners in the current health situation of Calabarzon and build a consensus among partner agencies to formulate strategies that would address the shortage in health human resource in the operation and management of health facilities.
Among the identified gaps were inadequate hospital staff, unfilled vacant positions, multi-tasking, excess duties, performing beyond job description, no trained personnel to complement available equipment, and inadequate capability for patient transport.
Janairo said the region will introduce tactical stopgap measures for immediate implementation.
“We need immediate output and outcome to address these insufficiencies,” he said.
“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,” the director added.
According to the regional Health Facility Operations and Development Unit, as of 2017, the province of Cavite has only 63 physicians, 202 public health nurses and 343 rural health midwife.
Laguna has 88 physicians, 157 PHN and 411 RHM, followed by Batangas (48, 111 and 341); Rizal (84, 155 and 193); and Quezon (67, 120, and 440).
“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 emphasized.
Calabarzon has a total of 65 government health facilities and 149 private hospitals. Cavite has 11 public and 45 private hospitals, followed by Laguna (15 and 39), Batangas (15 and 34), Rizal (8 and 16), and Quezon (16 and 15).
“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 added.