DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 23 Apr) – The City Health Office is asking the city government for a revamp of its personnel, particularly in the uplands, to improve government services.
Speaking at Thursday’s iSpeak forum, CHO rural health physician Evelyno Buenaventura said the office has already started to reassess its existing personnel and how many people are needed to augment its existing manpower.
Buenaventura said the office does not only need nurses, midwives and doctors but also support staff such as drivers, clerks, administrative support staff, as well as other essential services.
The series of meetings for the initial head count of the CHO personnel occurred between January and February.
At the city council, the CHO has also asked for the city council to add more nurses at each of the city’s 17 health districts.
“The last time the CHO was reorganized was in 1998,” Buenaventura said.
Ideally, there should be one health officer in charge of 20,000 residents of Davao.
Buenaventura added that the office will also have to refer to the Civil Service Commission for the creation of the city government items.
While there’s no shortage of potential employees in the job market, it could be a challenge to invite more personnel as there were other opportunities in other areas, especially abroad, she said.
According to Buenaventura, the issue was always raised during local health board meetings, especially with the mandated design for every health district to have birthing facilities by the Department of Health.
The increase in personnel would add more doctors, nurses and midwives to support for reproductive health concerns, while also providing more personnel for the city’s lying in services in the city’s health centers.