PARTNERSHIP The Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City will partner with the Cotabato State University to train future doctors that will serve Bangsamoro and the rest of Mindanao. —PHOTO COURTESY OF COTABATO REGIONAL AND MEDICAL CENTER
COTABATO CITY — Officials of the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC) and the Cotabato State University (CSU) have begun laying the foundation for the establishment of the first medical school in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“CRMC is keen on pursuing this venture, which is very timely and relevant for the benefit of the people of Mindanao, especially in the Bangsamoro region, and further, will bridge the gap in the current health-care system,” Dr. Ishmael Dimaren, CRMC chief of hospital, said in a statement.
Dimaren and CSU president Sema Dilna met on Wednesday to discuss preparations of the university to host the project.
“Proposed as a consortium project, it will be unofficially named CSU-CRMC College of Medicine, combining the excellence of both government institutions—quality education for CSU and quality health care from CRMC,” Dimaren said.
Addressing shortage
The initiative, he said, supports the mandate of Republic Act No. 11509, or the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act, signed in 2020 by then President Rodrigo Duterte. The law establishes a medical scholarship and return service program for deserving students in state universities and colleges or partner schools.
RA 11509 is expected to help ease the shortage of doctors across the country as well as address the gaps in providing accessible primary health care in the rural communities.
Dimaren is confident they will be able to open doors for enrollment by next year once the necessary regulatory approvals are secured.
Teams from CRMC and CSU have been meeting to discuss and set the medical school’s vision, mission, goals and objectives, and ensure compliance with the policies and standards of the Commission on Higher Education.
During the project’s initial stage, all physical facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, library and medical equipment will be located at the CRMC in Cotabato City.