Capitol inducts 13 doctors, 160 nurses

Local

NURSES and doctors are on the move across Cebu, with at least three doctors heading to Camotes Islands and dozens of others deployed to provincial and district hospitals.

The Cebu Provincial Government formally inducted 160 nurses and 13 doctors on Tuesday, August 26, at the Capitol Social Hall, as it works to fill long-standing staffing gaps. The ceremony marked their official start in the province’s healthcare system, providing much-needed manpower to provincial and district hospitals that have long faced shortages of medical personnel.

Governor Pamela Baricuatro led the induction ceremony, emphasizing her administration’s commitment to strengthening Cebu’s healthcare system.

Baricuatro had earlier ordered the hiring of 78 new doctors on June 18, demonstrating her administration’s focus on addressing healthcare needs across the province.

At least three of the newly inducted doctors will be deployed to Camotes Islands, where a shortage of healthcare workers has been a persistent issue, leaving residents with limited access to medical services.

Other new personnel will be assigned to Cebu Provincial Hospitals in Balamban, Bogo City, Carcar City, and Danao City, as well as district hospitals in Badian, Bantayan Island, Barili, Daanbantayan, Argao, Pinamungajan, Sogod, Minglanilla, Malabuyoc, Oslob, and Tuburan.

Dr. Elisse Nicole Catalan, PHO consultant, said the latest hires are part of the Capitol’s mass recruitment program for Cebu’s 16 provincial and district hospitals.

She added that while the provincial government received close to 2,000 applications, compliance with DOH regulations and matching hospital-specific requirements remain critical before deployment.

Dr. Mary Ann Josephine Arsenal, head of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), welcomed the new recruits and stressed that the onboarding reflects the PHO’s ongoing commitment to improving patient care.

She explained that the deployment aims to address staffing gaps in the province, although she noted that additional manpower is still needed to meet the full healthcare demands.

Salaries for the recruits are standardized, with entry-level nurses earning P38,810 per month, medical officers earning around P69,000, and medical specialists earning around P71,000.

Arsenal reminded them to exude patience with patients, emphasizing that many are already suffering from illnesses and deserve to be treated with care and "from the heart."

"To treat their patients with love... with a heart. Kung mahimo atoang [ihatag] kay naa na sila'y gibati nga sakit unya atoa pa gyud pasakitan," she said in an interview after lecturing the new medical personnel.

The recent onboarding also builds on Governor Baricuatro’s broader campaign to improve healthcare services in Cebu.

On her first day in office, June 30, 2025, she signed Executive Order No. 1, which mandates the urgent release of P5 million to each provincial and district hospital to strengthen their response capacity.

EO No. 1, titled “An Order for the Urgent Release of Appropriated Funds for Medical Purposes to Strengthen Cebu Provincial Hospitals’ Response Capacity,” allows hospitals to immediately procure essential medicines, medical supplies, and other necessary items to respond to the rising demand for urgent healthcare services.

The executive order sets a 90-day deadline for full release of funds, reflecting the administration’s focus on fast-tracking healthcare improvements.

Baricuatro cited a lack of equipment and medicines in rural areas during her campaign, promising Cebuanos that addressing these gaps would be a priority.(MyTVCebu)