Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic bringing scarcity of medical professional staff in many areas of the country, a group of Palaweño medical doctors, formerly scholars of the Provincial Government of Palawan (PGP), are now giving a “return of service” to the province.
According to a press release by the Provincial Information Office (PIO) last March 30, 12 out of 15 licensed doctors are already detailed in different district hospitals in Palawan. They belong to the first and second batches of PGP Medical scholars under the I-HELP Education Program.
Last 2018 and 2019, these Palaweños passed the Physician Licensure Examinations.
“Malaki ang [kanilang] maitutulong sa lalawigan, lalo na [sa] kinakaharap ngayon [na krisis] ng ating bansa sanhi ng Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19),” read the press release of the Information Department of the Provincial Government of Palawan.
Executive Assistant IV Marivic Baaco, who manages the program, said that currently, there are four doctors designated in Rizal District Hospital, five in Bataraza District Hospital and one for Aborlan Medicare Hospital, Narra Municipal Hospital and in Northern Palawan Provincial Hospital (NPPH) in the Municipality of Taytay.
The remaining three, Baaco added, were not able to join because the two of them are currently taking their field of specialization while the other one got a complication due to postpartum syndrome.
Part of the scholarship signed between the scholars and the Provincial Government, is that, the former should extend services in the PGP hospitals after they graduate as “return of service” and may depend on them if they will extend the contract after the prescribed years.
PGP also announces that the third batch of PGP Medical Scholars is composed of 13 people who successfully graduated in the field of medicine last year and are now preparing for the examinations.
A total of 94 ongoing scholars of the government are now studying in different universities of the country of which, 12 of them are already graduating students this year, 23 is in third year, 26 in second year, and 33 freshmen.
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