A government-run hospital in Occidental Mindoro is struggling to recruit doctors for three funded positions, a situation that bares the chronic difficulty of attracting medical professionals to rural areas.

The San Jose District Hospital announced this week it has just three doctors confirmed to work despite having 10 government-funded slots for Medical Officers, according to a public advisory.

The shortage is affecting operations in its Out-Patient Department and Emergency Room, the hospital said.

San Jose District Hospital serves as a secondary care facility for San Jose municipality and surrounding areas.

The success of its recruitment drive is critical to maintaining essential health services.

The hospital’s administration said the funded positions remain open and it is continuing to accept applications.

The recruitment problem at San Jose hospital reechoes a national issue in the Philippines, where the distribution of healthcare workers is heavily skewed toward urban centers.

The situation leaves provincial and district hospitals, which serve a large portion of the population, critically understaffed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a density of 4.45 doctors, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people.

The Philippines has approximately 1.6 physicians per 1,000 people as of the latest available data, with the shortfall most acute outside major cities.

The national government has tried to address the imbalance through programs that deploy health workers to underserved areas and offer financial incentives.

However, recruitment and retention remain difficult, often hampered by perceptions of limited career advancement, poorer infrastructure, and isolation.