By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Seven employees from Negros Occidental provincial government-run hospitals have tested positive for illegal drug use following another round of drug tests.

Provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz said the drug-positive employees consisted of five personnel from Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, and two from Cadiz District Hospital.

Diaz said drug test results revealed that five employees were positive for shabu or methamphetamine, while two were positive for marijuana.

However, he refused to say if the involved personnel were regular, contract of service (CoS) or job order (JOs) employees.

“We will reveal it only after their confirmatory tests come out in January next year,” Diaz said.

The provincial government will procure additional drug test kits for the remaining employees assigned to the district hospitals.

Around 2,300 employees underwent drug tests earlier this month, which yielded 20 drug-positive results — 19 positive for shabu, and one for marijuana.

Of the number, 16 employees, whose results came back with traces of shabu, will also undergo confirmatory drug tests.

Earlier, Diaz said JOs and CoS employees who tested positive for drug use would not have their work contracts renewed, while regular employees will likely undergo administrative hearings.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson also downplayed the number of drug-positive employees, stating that it was not yet alarming.

However, he warned drug-positive employees that they would still face penalties./DGB, WDJ