CCMC file photo.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A councilor in Cebu City wants to institutionalize the ‘Residency Training Program for Medical Doctors’ at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, author of the proposed ordinance, said that increasing the number of medical doctors in CCMC through the residency program will allow the City Government in providing “adequate medical care to the underprivileged sector of the Cebu City populace.”
Pesquera said the proposed ordinance aims to comply with several objectives. These include following the Civil Service Commission’s recommendation to establish a Residency Training Program and create permanent positions, and ensuring the ideal number of resident doctors as required by the Specialty Residency Training Programs.
The ordinance also aims to meet the increasing demand for resident doctors due to the rising number of patients and the need for healthcare providers in community activities.
Additionally, it seeks to support expanding programs that require more resident doctors to meet the growing demand for medical education and to distribute the clinical workload more evenly, reducing burnout among practitioners.
Pesquera referenced the Hospital Residency Law (Republic Act 1243) when drafting the ordinance. This law sets the tenure and qualifications for hospital residents in government training hospitals under the Department of Health (DOH).
Plantilla positions
Moreover, Section 4 of the ordinance creates the plantilla positions of Medical Officer III in temporary status with a salary grade 21 and will be distributed in the following manner:
Internal Medicine Department – 24 (8 per year level)
Pediatrics Department – 24 (8 per year level)
Surgery Department – 35 (7 per year level)
Obstetrics/Gynecology – 28 (7 per year level)
“The positions created herein shall be considered part and parcel of the existing organizational structure of the Cebu City Medical Center – Medical Services Section,” said Pesquera.
READ: COA: CCMC project contract price was ‘bloated’ by P62M
Doctors appeal DOH order restricting training in US
Qualifications
To qualify for the residency training program at CCMC, applicants must be Filipino citizens studying Doctor of Medicine, licensed physicians, and of good moral character.
Pesquera stated that filling these positions will follow the City Government’s Merit Selection Plan (MSP).
If approved, the ordinance will outline duties for resident doctors related to patient care, medical education, teamwork, clinical documentation, patient advocacy, research, continuity of care, professional development, and emergency response.
Pesquera also noted that CCMC currently has a 225-bed capacity, with plans to expand to 700 beds in five years.
Subsequently, she said that the ideal number of resident training doctors as per the mandate of the Philippine College of Physicians are: Internal Medicine 1:10; Pediatrics 1:5; Surgery 1:5; and Obstetrics/Gynecology 1:10.
The duration of the resident training program for Internal Medicine and Pediatrics is three years, Surgery is five years, and Obstetrics/Gynecology is four years.
Patients
Pesquera also included in her proposal the total number of patients served for admission, out-patient, and in the emergency room. She said that the numbers are projected to increase between 50 and 70 percent in the next five years.
In 2023, internal medicine treated 45,644 patients, up from 33,770 in 2022. Pediatrics saw 18,269 patients in 2023, up from 16,115 in 2022. Surgical admissions rose to 27,657 in 2023 from 24,053 in 2022. The obstetrics/gynecology section had 3,225 patients in 2023, down from 9,910 in 2022.
The Civil Service Commission – South Field Office recommends creating permanent positions for resident training doctors at CCMC.
Pesquera emphasized the need to institutionalize the proposed ordinance, which passed its first reading on May 22 during the Council’s regular session. /clorenciana