The Oriental Negros government, through the Provincial Health Office, is considering the giving of incentives to government doctors in a bid to keep them in public hospitals.

Provincial Health Officer Dante Domingo said the province cannot increase the salary of government doctors due to the salary standardization plan for public workers. He said they are proposing to allow them to go into private practice after office hours, or when they are off duty.

Domingo said that although the motivation of most doctors is still service and not money, they need a salary increase because their income is so meager.

He said some doctors at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital are still receiving P16,000 a month, which is the same as the salary of a security guard employed by the Government Service Insurance System.

Former Provincial Health Officer Ely Villapando said, the low pay of government doctors is one of the reasons why many of them have studied nursing in order to work abroad and earn more as nurses.

Among the 45 doctors of NOPH, Domingo said only seven, including himself, have not studied nursing, with the rest already nurses, or are now taking up the course.

Domingo said medical workers, including doctors, are requesting the provincial government for the full implementation of the Magna Carta for Health Workers, which provides for additional benefits.*RA

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