THE Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-Barmm) hired 155 healthcare workers to strengthen the healthcare services in the province of Lanao del Sur.

Dr. Bashary Latiph, MOH minister, said 148 of the 155 are midwives while the remaining seven are physicians, who took their oath Friday, May 21.

Latiph, who administered the oath-taking ceremony, said the midwives were hired under the Midwife in Every Community in Barmm project, while the physicians were employed through the Doctors to the Barrios program.

Barmm Deputy Chief Minister Ali Solaiman, along with his fellow members of parliament, Marjanie Macasalong and Zainodin Mohammad Bato of Lanao del Sur, witnessed the ceremony.

Also present during the ceremony were Dr. Alinader Minalang and Dr. Ali Dalidig, health officers of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City, respectively.

“I’m very confident and have the highest faith that you will deliver your responsibilities as midwives and doctors with minimal supervision,” Latiph told the newly hired health workers.

Of the 148 hired midwives, 25 will be deployed to Marawi City Health Office while the remaining 123 to the different Rural Health Units (RHUs) of Lanao del Sur.

The physicians will be distributed to doctorless municipalities in the province of Lanao del Sur.

Barmm Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim congratulated the newly appointed healthcare workers and thanked the MOH for facilitating yet another significant chapter in Barmm’s collective dream of having a healthier autonomous region.

“As midwives, you will become the living ambassadors of our sealed vision for health care in the region,” Ebrahim said.

He said they aim to deploy a total of 600 community midwives throughout the region.

The MOH had already deployed 170 midwives to its regional office and the RHUs of Maguindanao province. (SunStar Zamboanga)