4 new hospitals to be built in BARMM

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Four new hospitals will be built in three provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to bring healthcare services closer to communities, a top health official said.

Health Minister and Member of Parliament Kadil Jojo Sinolinding Jr. said the Bangsamoro Parliament just approved a bill that will pave the way for the construction of the four hospitals in the remote areas of Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao next year.

The new hospitals are expected to address the growing need for medical and health services, particularly in remote communities, the Bangsamoro Information Office said.

The new hospitals will be the Aleem Abdulaziz Mimbantas Memorial Hospital in Lanao del Sur,  Northern Kabuntalan General Hospital, and Datu Blah Sinsuat General Hospital in Maguindanao del Norte, and one in South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi.

Sinolinding called the newly approved bills hallmark legislation in the Bangsamoro as the new hospitals would help ensure that critical medical care reaches even the most remote of communities.

He said each facility would cost P50 million, and their construction is scheduled to start next year.

Bangsamoro lawmakers supported the bill, but they also called for more initiatives to address healthcare needs in other provinces across BARMM.