The provincial government has hired additional doctor-retirees to address the need for more physicians to attend to patients at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital.

Integrated Provincial health Officer, Ely Villapando, said three retirees were recently hired, in addition to six already re-hired by the provincial government to help address the scarcity of doctors. But Villapando, who is himself set to retire from the service this month, said the hired retirees are only work part-time and are assigned to the out-patient department and are receiving P11,000 a month, except for one who was rehired in fulltime capacity, with P23,000 as monthly pay.

"This is one of the strategies to remedy the scarcity of doctors at NOPH," Villapando said.

With about 300 patients at the NOPH at any given time, the hospital has only 45 regular doctors, who include Villapando and his assistant. Villapando said the hiring of retired doctors has greatly helped in decongesting the out-patient department. He said, in the past, when regular doctors assigned at OPD were doing rounds to check confined patients, persons who wanted to consult them were crowding at the department.

"Right now, the OPD has been effectively decongested because of our part-time retirees assigned there," Villapando said.*RA

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