1 week Ago By SunStar Zamboanga
THE Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the legislative body of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), has approved the establishment of four new hospitals in the provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur. In a statement, the BTA information office said the unanimous approval was made during a special session on Thursday, December 12, 2024, with lawmakers passing Parliament Bill Numbers 99, 123, 139, and 257. During the session, Committee on Health Chairperson Hashemi Dilangalen said that these hospitals have long been awaited by the people in the three provinces, who have struggled with limited access to quality healthcare services and often face long travel times to reach the nearest medical facilities.
BTA Bill Number 99 will establish a 50-bed level 1 general hospital in the island town of South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi, improving access to healthcare for the municipality’s residents. The hospital will serve the third-class municipality of South Ubian, which has had limited healthcare resources in the past. BTA Bill Number 123 calls for the construction of the Pura Municipal Hospital (PMH) in Barangay Pura, Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, with a 25-bed capacity.
BTA Bill Number 139 authorizes the construction of the Northern Kabuntalan Municipal Hospital, a 50-bed level 1 general hospital that will improve healthcare services in Northern part of Maguindanao del Norte. BTA Bill Number 257 approves the establishment of the Aleem Abdulazis S. Mimbantas Memorial Hospital in Masiu, Lanao del Sur, which will provide a 50-bed general hospital.
Dilangalen emphasized the urgency of these projects, pointing out that many of these areas have long faced major gaps in health infrastructure. The approval of these bills is the result of extensive consultations with local communities, where lawmakers witnessed firsthand the healthcare needs of the people. The hospitals, once constructed and operational, will be placed under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Health.
(SunStar Zamboanga).
