150 more midwives to be deployed in ARMM

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – At least 150 more midwives will be deployed in remote areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to help provide basic health services to to people living in places where government services were hardly felt.

Dr. Kadil Sinolinding, ARMM healthy secretary, said the deployment of the additional midwives would start in December.

With the fresh deployments, Sinolinding said the current ratio of one midwife for every 6,088 people will be further improved.

“There are more than 500 midwives in the region and the additional 150 new midwives were expected to improve the delivery of health services in the ARMM, the country’s poorest,” Sinolinding said.

He said the deployment of the new midwives was being made with the help of the national government’s Department of Health.

“Secretary Enrique Ona readily granted our request in accordance with the DOH program Pangkalahatang Pangkalusugan,” Sinolinding said.

As this developed, Sinolinding announced that the government has allocated P1.3 billion for health programs in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan.

The fund will be taken out of the P8 billion ARMM Mini-Marshall plan, he said, adding, “In DOH-ARMM, when it rains, it pours.”

He said the Mini-Marshall plan also included P380 million for the health facility enhancement program of DOH, which includes increasing the number of rural health units, clinics and hospitals.