Cotabato City (June 19, 2020)—The Bangsamoro Government’s Ministry of Health (MOH-BARMM) hired forty-two (42) health workers and maintenance personnel to man the Covid-19 isolation facility in Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital, in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
BARMM’s Health Minister Dr. Saffrullah Dipatuan led the contract signing and oath taking ceremony of 27 nurses, 3 respiratory therapists, 4 maintenance personnel, and 8 security personnel on Friday, June 19, 2020 at the MOH’s Training Hall in Cotabato City.
“This move is in line with BARMM’s immediate response to Covid-19 health emergency,” Dipatuan stressed.
Dipatuan noted that the salaries of the said Human Resource for Health (HRH) personnel will come from the Department of Health-Central Office and will be sub-allotted to MOH-BARMM.
“We asked assistance from the Department of Health to recruit new Human Resources for Health because we do not have sufficient number of staff to man our isolation facility,” Dipatuan said.
On May 28, the Bangsamoro Government, through the MOH-BARMM and Ministry of Public Works, inaugurated the isolation center in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao which was built in 40 days.
In yesterday’s press briefing, Cabinet Secretary Mohd Asnin Pendatun said that BARMM will continue supporting the operations of the isolation facility through the Office of the Chief Minister.
“Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim has approved to provide the food supply for COVID-19 positive patients that would be admitted to the isolation facility”, he said.
Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital Chief Dr. Ibrahim V. Pangato, Jr. emphasized that the new set of health personnel have already undergone basic training on infectious control prior to deployment.
“We need teamwork to fight Covid-19, since only the Bangsamoro will help our fellow Bangsamoro,” Pangato asserted. (Bureau of Public Information)
