THE Department of Health (DOH) identified 18,591 unfilled plantilla positions in its attached offices and health facilities as of December 31, 2022 but despite a stepped-up drive to hire qualified applicants, only 63 percent or 11,679 posts were filled up by November 30, 2023.
In the DOH annual audit report released last December 1, government auditors said there are still 6,758 plantilla positions in various DOH offices and state-run hospitals that need filling up for the agency’s workforce to achieve full efficiency.
This even after 847 other posts were already abolished or reclassified while an additional 207 were tagged as “coterminous with the incumbent” hence no longer requiring renewal.
A review of the Personal Services Itemization and Plantilla of Personnel (PSIPOP) revealed that only 94 agencies under the DOH were able to comply with the directive to reduce existing vacancies by 50 percent or higher.
“On the other hand, 11 DOH agencies failed to achieve the target of filling up at least 50 percent of its vacant positions,” the audit team noted.
These were the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) with 1,351 vacancies; San Lazaro Hospital (SLH) in Sta. Cruz, Manila with 639; Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Medical Center (MHARSMC) in Misamis Occidental with 500; Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center (LPGHSTC) with 405; Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center (BatGHMC) with 248.
The Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium (DJNRMHS) in Caloocan City with 274; First Misamis Oriental General Hospital (FMOGH) with 141; Malinao Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (TRC-Malinao) in Albay with 17; Basilan General Hospital (BasGH) with 16; Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD) with 11; and Las Piñas Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (LPDATRC) with 3.
In its explanation, the ZCMC said it was only able to sign up 337 applicants or just 25 percent of its existing vacancies because there was limited interest as recent graduates prefer to try their luck with private hospitals that offer better compensation packages.
This was the same justification offered by the DJNRMHS which could only sign on 94 or just 34 percent of its total vacancies, saying the low salary offer is compounded by the requirement for highly specialized educational requirements.
The MHARSMC was able to fill up 81 or a mere 16 percent of its unfilled plantilla positions, saying the 419 positions drew zero applications since potential hires would rather seek jobs in urban centers.
The San Lazaro Hospital said its Human Resource Department is already operating understaffed hence it cannot even monitor the various stages of the hiring process while training qualified applicants also presents another challenge. It was only able to hire 161, or only 25 percent of the available positions.
The DOH and the concerned agencies agreed with the COA’s recommendation to evaluate the existing guidelines on the recruitment and selection process to determine where revisions are necessary to attract more health professionals.
They have likewise reached out to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to help generate public awareness, particularly among recent graduates with additional plans for more publications of existing vacancies.
