A total of 6,970 doctors, nurses, and dentist have the possibility of losing their jobs by the end of the year because of the reduction in the Department of Health’s proposed budget for 2017.
The DOH budget for 2017 will make the government branch downsize the number of health personnel that are currently employed under their Rural Health Practice Program, from its current 21,118 personnel to 18,825 personnel by next year.
For the Doctors to the Barrios Program, the number will be cut from 946 physicians to 435 physicians in 2017. The 15,727 nurses for the Nurse Deployment Program will also be cut down to 9,349 nurses while the 324 dentists will also be reduced to 243 dentists by next year.
Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto called out to his fellow senators to think of other ways that could still save these health personnel’s jobs by next year “or at least cushion the effects of what amounts to be a mass retrenchment.”
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The Department of Health has to fund the salary of their workers, including the workers under the Rural Health Practice Program, and with the lowered proposed budget for 2017, DOH will have to reduce the number of health workers to be deployed to rural areas as well.
Senator Recto said on November 12 that he is now working closely with DOH in order to minimize the displacement, “which was something that was merely imposed on the DOH.”
The Senator has cited different options. First, the Senate can infuse funds in the Department of Health. He stated that around P2 billion will be needed in order to keep the 6,378 affected nurses.
“We can also insert a provision in the national budget that would state that the affected personnel should have first priority in being absorbed by other or new programs of the Rural Health Practice Program (RHPP),” Recto explained.
While the number of medical technologists and midwives by next year would stay at 308 and 3,100 respectively, DOH is set to hire 2,587 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Implementers and 2,803 Public Health Associates (PHAs).
Recto proposed that the displaced personnel should be the ones to be accommodated in these programs “and their pay should be augmented by local counterpart. Kung hindi lahat ma-absorb, then Congress should fund the deficit.”
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There is also an option for the senate to insert a “firewall” provision, which will exempt “poor, distant towns” from losing the number of health workers being deployed to their area.
“We can insist that the status quo be maintained for 3rd class to 6th class towns,” Recto said.
The proposed budget for the RHPP for 2017 is P7.03 billion.
Source: (rappler.com, news.mb.com.ph)
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