Dahino
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By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

COUNCILOR Edna Dahino on Thursday called on the city council to review the list of workers contracted to serve in the city hallun JR Borja Memorial General Hospital to ensure that the medical institution would not be overstaffed.

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Dahino said this as she moved to defer discussions on the request of the hospital’s management for the approval of 48 plantilla positions following the disclosure that it hired 468 “job order” workers on top of its 179 regular and casual employees since 2016.

She told the city council’s committee on health, sanitation and health insurance that she feared that city hall has been wasting funds in contracting “JO” workers.

“Why are there so many employees in our hospital? … Why do we need to create 48 new positions when we already have 468 ‘job orders’ in the hospital? … Mag-usik-usik lugar kita og kuarta sa pag-sweldo kanila, and then karon, we will create more positions?” asked Dahino.

She suggested that the hospital management make its present workers report for duty in three shifts.

Dahino also said she wanted to be clarified on the functions of the “JOs.”

“Maulaw kita sa mga tawo nga daghan kaayo kita og gi-hire unya magbanga-banga naman kita tungod sa kagamay sa maong hospital. Dili masabtan sa mga tawo why we hired so many ‘job orders,’” she pointed out.

Dahino said the hospital serves an average of 200 to 300 patients daily and yet its has a workforce of over 600. At 300, the ratio would be two hospital workers for every patient.

Dr. Arven Laurito, officer-in-charge of the city hospital, said the creation of 48 plantilla positions would require an annual budget of P25 million to P35 million, and the request is part of a plan to upgrade the hospital’s category.

The hospital’s chief, Dr. Ramon Nery, was reportedly out of town.

“We are pushing for a second level LGU hospital,” he said.

Laurito said the request was based on the staffing standards set by the Department of Health (DOH) for Level 2 hospitals.

As for the number of hospital workers, he said this is justified given the 300-percent increase in the number of the hospital’s patients.

“We have their (workers’) daily time and bundy clock records,” Laurito said.

Councilor Ma. Lourdes Gaane, a physician by profession, said the DOH’s standard is one doctor for every five patients, and one nurse for every 12 patients.

Gaane said for every 300 patients, the city hospital would require 25 nurses per shift or 75 nurses working in three shifts daily.

“We need a win-win solution. This proposal must be reviewed,” Gaane said.

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