Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo has instructed Dr. Chelsa Cacaldo, head of the six community primary hospitals in the province, to ensure that doctors are always on duty to attend to patients.

The order was issued after Degamo visited a community hospital recently, and discovered that there was no doctor present.

He said he understands that there in a limited number of physicians assigned to the CPHs but Cacaldo should make sure that a doctor is always on duty, especially since some of the patients come from far-flung sitios and barangays.

A regular schedule of doctors should be furnished to each of the six CPHs so that the patients and the public will be guided. Cacaldo was also asked to regularly monitor the attendance of the doctors.

The availability and strengthening of medical services in the mountainous barangays of the province will help improve the campaign of the local government for a healthy community, and will raise the awareness and trust of the people in CPHs, Degamo said.

This will also help decongest the influx of patients to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, particularly those suffering minor diseases, who can instead be treated in the CPH, he added.*MA