DOH chief urges 3,845 newly licensed physicians to join gov't service

MANILA – Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Saturday enjoined 3,845 newly licensed physicians to join government service.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced that 58.26 percent of 6,600 examinees passed the Physician Licensure Examination administered by the Board of Medicine in October 2024.

"To all the new Filipino physicians who recently passed the Physicians Licensure Examinations 2024, my greetings and congratulations to you all," Herbosa said in a statement.

"Join us in government service at DOH. Let us do public health, health systems strengthening, health policy, health financing."

The registration for the issuance of a professional identification card and certificate of registration will be done online starting Nov. 25, the PRC said.

Herbosa said the new physicians may opt to join the Doctor to the Barrios program for underserved rural areas.

He added hat DOH-run hospitals also offer residency and specialization programs.

He urged them to help the government "build a health system Filipinos truly deserve."

"Consider Family and Community Medicine, the doctors who will save lives at our BUCAS (Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service) centers, mobile primary care clinics, and in the PuroKalusugan program," Herbosa said.

PuroKalusugan is the DOH primary care program that brings healthcare services closer to purok (districts or communities).

The program offers immunization, oral health, maternal health, tuberculosis control program, nutrition, andvnon-communicable disease prevention and control program, among others.

"Serve the people. Let us build and provide safe, affordable, and accessible healthcare for our people, dahil sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Buhay Mahalaga (because under the New Philippines, every llife matters)," Herbosa said. (PNA)