Ilocos Norte will employ additional medical personnel for its public hospitals

DT | Ilocos Norte will employ additional medical personnel for its public hospitals | LAOAG CITY – The province of Ilocos Norte will employ additional medical personnel to support its expanding public healthcare facilities.

This was confirmed by Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc on Tuesday following his second State of the Province Address (SOPA), in which he highlighted his administration’s main achievements in enhancing the current healthcare services offered in government-run hospitals.

“We have fulfilled our promise to employ more medical professionals and professionals in all fields. We are still avidly recruiting. Please spread the word,’ said Manotoc, noting that the Ilocos Norte government has employed 22 physicians, 26 nurses, 14 medical technicians, and 5 radiology technicians over the past year.

Dr. Rogelio Balbag, executive director of the Ilocos Norte Hospital and Management Council, stated that more doctors and other specialists are required to provide basic and adequate health services to all patients in light of the ongoing upgrading and expansion of various public health facilities at the Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital (GRBASMH) and the acquisition of a new computed tomography (CT) scan at the Bangui District Hospital.

Balbag stated that the provincial government has allocated funds in the 2023 budget to replace vacant positions for physicians and other medical professionals.

Because some medical professionals prefer to work abroad or in their own clinics, the positions remain unfilled.

Manotoc pledged to increase the salaries of provincial government employees and guarantee a fair wage for all in an effort to recruit more healthcare professionals into government service.

After opening a new outpatient department building worth PHP10 million, the provincial hospital will have its three-story clinical laboratory shortly.

The Department of Health (DOH) allocated PHP75 million for this initiative, which began construction last week.

In addition, patients in need of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner at the GRBASMH will no longer be required to travel to another facility, as the provincial hospital now has its own machine.

The construction of the dialysis facility, according to Manotoc, is also 90 percent complete and will be completed next year.

For the convenience of patients, other government-run hospitals and medical facilities in the province are upgraded, including the expansion of main buildings, laboratories, emergency rooms, and pharmacies. (via PNA)