Quezon hospital again limits OB-GYN services amid doctor shortage

LUCENA CITY — Quezon Medical Center has again limited its obstetrics and gynecology services due to the unavailability of OB-GYN physicians, marking another service restriction linked to a shortage of specialists at the provincial government hospital.

In an advisory issued 3 October, the Quezon Provincial Hospital Network–Quezon Medical Center (QPHN-QMC) advised hospitals, rural health units, lying-in clinics and other health facilities to temporarily refer OB-GYN patients to other facilities capable of providing the required care.

Patients facing imminent delivery may still be accommodated, subject to the assessment and capability of the healthcare team on duty, the hospital said.

The latest restriction follows previous advisories issued by QPHN-QMC this year concerning limited OB-GYN services because of physician availability, including similar notices in September.

The repeated service limitations underscore the challenge of maintaining specialist coverage at the government-run medical center, which serves patients from Lucena City and other parts of Quezon province.

The shortage had already been acknowledged earlier this year by the provincial government.

Quezon Governor Angelina Tan previously said the province was looking for private OB-GYN physicians who could augment services amid difficulty filling available positions in government hospitals.

The 3 October advisory did not indicate how many OB-GYN physicians are currently assigned to QMC, how many positions remain vacant or how many patients have been redirected to other hospitals because of the service restrictions.

It also did not specify when regular OB-GYN services would fully resume.