“The solution is money and this problem is now being addressed by Lt. Gov. Inos S. Eloy,” he said.
Although there’s no definite date for the salary increase, it is now in the “discussion stage,” he added.
However, Untalan said if ever the salary hike freeze is ended, the pay raise will not be retroactive.
In contrast, the housing benefits for CHC personnel, once reinstated, will be given to them from the time it was suspended, he added.
Untalan said the pay hike freeze has “impacted tremendously” CHC, but not the work of its healthcare personnel.
He said healthcare must meet professional standards and healthcare workers are licensed professionals.
“They just cannot jeopardize their licenses,” he added. “We have a commitment and everybody knows their work. We put our personal problems aside when we enter the door and do our work,” Untalan said.
He said there may be some “issues” at the hospital but they’re not affecting the way CHC health workers are performing their duties and responsibilities.
Currently, he added, one big issue involves new nurses with work experience who are getting more than other nurses in the same work classification.
The problem, he said, is that personnel salary was frozen at a certain rate level.
According to Untalan, newly recruited nurses, or those without experience, will not make more than those who have experience.
“They will start at the entry level rate,” he added, referring to the new nurses.
Last month, CHC announced it hired 235 nurses and 31 physicians to fill various critical posts at the hospital.
Of these nurses, 12 were hired in the last six months.
