Ex-rebels’ wives now barangay health workers

Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur. INQUIRER FILES

COTABATO CITY—The Ministry of Health (MOH) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has tapped the services of the wives of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters to deliver health services in the region’s communities.

The MOH began deploying the newly minted barangay health workers (BHWs) on Tuesday to Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte provinces after they underwent training as Health Education and Promotion Officers mandated by the Universal Health Care Law.

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“This is BARMM’s commitment to enhancing health care services in the region,” said Health Minister Kadil Sinolinding.

He added that those being trained totaled 956, bringing the MOH’s BHW force to 8,600, serving 2,598 villages throughout the region.

Some of the new BHWs had served as auxiliaries of MILF, who were exposed to health extension work. —EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ