COTABATO CITY — Several hospital creation bills were introduced in the Bangsamoro Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

“The establishment of hospitals as part of the proactive steps of the Bangsamoro government to self-governance and in pursuit to provide services and protect the health of the people is a matter of great importance,” sponsors of hospital bills said in their explanatory note. 

According to them, most of the existing hospitals were stationed near the cities, causing the services to not reach the indigent families from far-flung areas.

To address the problem and provide “accessible and affordable” health services to the Bangsamoro people, especially the low-income families, two additional bills—Parliament Bill Nos. 123 and 125—were filed before the plenary. 

The former seeks to create a 25-bed municipal hospital in Butig, Lanao del Sur, while the latter seeks to establish a 15-bed capacity infirmary hospital in Maluso, Basilan.

PB 123 was authored by MP Maisara Dandamun-Latiph, while PB 125 was presented by MPs Abdulmuhmin Mujahid, Zul Qarneyn Abas, Laisa Alamia, Muslimin Jakilan, Alzad Sattar, Hatimil Hassan, Muslima Asmawil, and Faiz Alauddin. 

The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) mandated the regional government to serve the health care needs of its people and ensure every individual’s right to life is attainable through “prompt intervention of excellent and affordable medical services.”

Once the bills were passed, said hospitals in Lanao del Sur and Basilan will operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Health (MOH). (Publication and Media Relations Division)