KPH short on staff, services under scrutiny: BM Dangani proposes new hospital ordinance to strengthen management and patient care

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The shortage of health workers at the Kalinga Provincial Hospital (KPH), along with other service delivery concerns raised during a recent legislative hearing, has prompted Board Member Alfredo K. Dangani to propose a provincial ordinance aimed at strengthening hospital management and patient care.

Dangani introduced the “Kalinga Provincial Hospital and District Hospitals Management, Operations, and Quality Healthcare Ordinance,” which seeks to establish a clearer framework for the management and operation of KPH and the province’s district hospitals.

The proposed measure was included in the agenda and deliberated on during the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s 36th regular session on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

It covers staffing, duty schedules, professional conduct, personnel identification, service delivery, sanitation, hospital environmental conditions, accountability, and monitoring.

Staffing shortage raised during KPH hearing

The proposed ordinance comes after the September 10 joint hearing of the SP Committees on Health and Sanitation and Appropriations, Ways and Means, which investigated a complaint involving the alleged improper treatment of a woman in labor at KPH on August 15.

While the hearing examined the circumstances of the complaint and allowed both the complainant and KPH personnel to present their sides, it also highlighted broader concerns affecting the hospital’s capacity to deliver services.

Among the major issues raised was the shortage of medical personnel, particularly obstetricians.

During the hearing, KPH OB-Gynecologist Dr. Marriane Baggay said there were periods from late June to August when she was the only OB attending to patients in the delivery room and operating room after another KPH obstetrician went on leave.

Baggay said KPH handled around 70 to 80 operative cases in July, making the workload difficult to manage with limited specialists. Some patients had to be referred to hospitals in Tuguegarao when their cases could no longer be safely handled at KPH.

She also said there were only three OB-Gynecologists in Kalinga and that the hospital was working to recruit additional specialists.

The staffing shortage became part of the wider discussion on how KPH could improve its services and respond more effectively to patients’ needs.

KPH Officer-in-Charge Dr. Rey Aranca said the complaint could also help the hospital identify areas for improvement and develop appropriate solutions.

For Dangani, who chairs the SP Committee on Health and Sanitation, the hearing was not simply about determining who was right or wrong in the reported incident.

He earlier said the objective was to improve health services in the province, rather than attack healthcare workers.

More areas flagged for improvement

The joint committee hearing identified several areas requiring attention to improve services at KPH and other government hospitals in the province.

These included manpower shortages, particularly in Nursing Services and OB-Gyne; professional conduct among some healthcare personnel; inconsistent use of uniforms and identification tags; extended waiting times for triage, intake and medical attention; management oversight; sanitation standards; and existing duty schedules and working hours.

The committees recommended several measures, including a comprehensive manpower assessment, improvements in hospital workflow and patient-care standards, stricter compliance with uniform and identification protocols, training on customer service, patient rights and professional ethics, and a review of internal policies and administrative guidelines.

KPH management was also recommended to submit an official Compliance and Progress Report to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for monitoring.

Concerns reflected in proposed ordinance

These findings and recommendations provided the backdrop for Dangani’s proposed ordinance.

The measure seeks to establish a comprehensive management and operational framework for KPH and the province’s district hospitals, particularly in staffing, hospital operations, quality healthcare, service delivery, professional conduct, sanitation, accountability and monitoring.

The proposed ordinance was approved on first reading during the September 22 session and will still undergo the succeeding legislative process before it can become a provincial ordinance.