‘Raise health workers’ salary’

THE death of an Argao tourism officer in an ambulance on the way to a hospital should be a wakeup call for the full implementation of the Magna Carta for Health Workers, a former top local health official said.

In a statement sent to CEBU DAILY NEWS Dr. Cora Lou Kintanar, a Liberal Party congressional candidate for Cebu’s second district, said the salaries, and work conditions of health employees should be addressed by the province.

“When a patient dies, sadly, the health personnel are the ones immediately blamed for the tragedy….What people fail to realize is that they are bound by policies and guidelines set by management,” she said.

Kintanar, who is running against reelectionist Cebu 2nd Dist. Rep. Pablo Garcia, said the practice by the Isidro Kintanar district hospital discouraging contracted nurses from accompanying patients during their transfers, speaks of the state of hospitals in the country.

Argao tourism officer Ted Villarimo died after he sustained an asthma attack while riding an ambulance that would transfer him to a Cebu City hospital for treatment.

Nurses and doctors contracted by Isidro Kintanar hospital are employed by Powerline agency.

The agency is owned by the family of Glenn Soco, One Cebu vice gubernatorial candidate.

“The health system is not responsive enough to the needs of the people…it has become a political instrument. Health personnel are themselves victims of this system,” Kintanar said. Kintanar is a former spokesperson of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7). –Ma. Bernadette A. Parco, Cebu Daily News