BARMM rural health units get monthly funding

MANILA, Philippines–The health ministry of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is allocating P20,000 per month for all Rural Health Units (RHU) in the region.

Health Minister Saffrullah Dipatuan said the RHUs are not adequately funded.

“I find it not only ironic but unjust that while RHUs are being asked to provide outputs that are consolidated in the provincial, regional and national level as achievements, they (RHUs) are not provided with even the minimum funding support in the form of maintenance and other operating expenses,” Dipatuan said.

“The P20,000 pesos per month that we will be providing RHUs all over BARMM is actually a minimal amount that they can use to defray their daily operational expenses,” she said as she issued a memorandum order to provide funds for RHUs.

The Ministry of Health is a highly hierarchical organization. The lowest level in the organizational structure is the municipal level where the  RHUs are located.

Dipatuan said the  RHUs are required to deliver basic health services in grassroots communities.

“They implement programs and report their outputs that are consolidated in the provincial, regional and, national level. The regional and provincial levels are adequately supported with funding such as the MOOE,” she said.

“Correcting this unjust arrangement is for me a solid step towards moral governance. I believe it is my moral obligation to correct what I see as injustice,” Dipatuan said.