Meager salary for CCMC chief keeps post vacant

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama believes a low salary is what hinders the city from finding a qualified doctor to head the beleaguered Cebu City Medical Center.

 The position of director remains vacant after former CCMC director Myrna Go was removed from the post owing to her alleged failure to effectively manage the 48-year-old hospital.

 What makes it worse, however, is that the city reportedly could not increase the salary of the hospital director if only to encourage doctors to accept the offer.

 “Lisud kaayo na tungod kay duna may standard rate nga atong sundon,” Rama said.

 The salary of the hospital chief is only about P30,000 although he/she is entitled to some other benefits such as Representation Allowance and Travel Allowance (RATA) amounting to almost P10,000.

 Still, this reportedly pales in comparison to what a good doctor earns in private practice.

 A well-known doctor here who accepts consultations at night until the following morning manages to earn more than P20,000 in just eight hours of extra work after his regular duty.

 Rama said another reason why no one would accept the position is that it is a full time job. Doctors Tomas Fernandez, himself a former director of CCMC, and Shawn Espina, for example, only wanted to become consultants and not full time hospital director.

 Rama said Fernandez could have been an asset to the hospital because of his previous experience there, as well as his experience as head of the City Health Department during the term of former mayor Tomas Osmeña.

 Before stepping down as mayor, Osmeña had pushed for the sale of CCMC to private companies because he was reportedly dissatisfied of the services it offers.

 Rama, however, opposed the move and swore to improve the hospital’s performance.

 CCMC doctors believe the hospital’s performance will greatly improve if the city gives it a bigger budget, particularly the allocation for drugs and medicines and medical equipment.

 The annual budget for CCMC is only P139 million and only P14 million goes to the purchase of drugs and medicines. The remaining P100 million covers the salary of personnel and other benefits.

 Still, Rama remains optimistic.

“Aw sagdi lang kay tabangan ra ta sa Ginoo og makakita ra unya kita og maayong tawo nga modumala sa CCMC,” Rama said.  (THE FREEMAN)