COTABATO CITY— The City Health Office (CHO) of Cotabato is now under the supervision of the Bangsamoro region’s Ministry of Health (MOH) following a turn-over and acceptance ceremony led by MOH Officer-in-Charge Minister Dr. Zul Qarneyn Abas and City Health Officer II Dr. Marlow Niñal on Friday, July 29.
“Buong puso naming tinatanggap ang City Health Office into the folds of BARMM, especially to the Ministry of Health,” said Abas, adding that there will be no major changes in the office as it will still be under the operation of the city government.
“We are confident with the leadership and capability of your City Health Officer, your doctors, and program coordinators,” he added.
MOH also received a copy of CHO’s Local Investment Plan for Health and Annual Operation Plan. “Ire-review natin ito at titingnan natin ano ang maaari nating itulong sa City Health of Cotabato City,” Abas said.
On the other hand, Niñal mentioned that for more than two years, lack of facilities and human resources are among their major problems. He shared that the MOH will address this concern to enhance CHO’s quality of service delivery.
“Kung naibigay sa amin ito (tulong) noon pa, siguro naging center for excellence itong Cotabato City. Ngayong nandito na kami, nakikipagtulungan na kami sa BARMM—malaking pasalamat namin dito at malaking epekto ito sa mga Cotabateño,” Niñal said.
A coordination meeting was also held after the turnover ceremony wherein the programs of the MOH were presented under its Family Health cluster, Non-Communicable Cluster, Infectious Disease Cluster, Regulations, Licensing and Enforcement Division (RLED), Nutrition, Water Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster, Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Units (RESU) / Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMS), Human Resource for Health, Barangay Health Workers, and Health Facility Development Division (HFDD).
Also present during the activity were MOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Abdulhalik Kasim, Chief of HFDD Engr. Embran Bansilan, Chief of Planning Anisa Matuan, Director II for Operation Dr. Tato Usman, and other CHO personnel.
Currently, the CHO has a Bangsamoro One-Stop-Shop which offers different medical services to the residents of Cotabato City and neighboring areas. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
