A total of P2.5 billion from the P164-billion proposed budget of the Department of Health will be allocated to rebuilding and reconstructing health facilities destroyed in Marawi when the terrorists from the Maute group invaded the city.
Speaking in a forum sponsored by FOCAP and the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines on “Public Health Impact of Armed Conflicts,” DoH Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said they are constantly meeting with other sectors for a comprehensive recovery and reconstruction plan for Marawi.
She said they had estimated P2.7 billion for the rebuilding of damaged health facilities on the aftermath of the war between government forces and the ISIS-inspired Maute terrorists in Marawi.
She said the DoH plans to rebuild Marawi into an ideal health system to copy the Cuban model for healthcare system.
The goal, she said, is to build one health station in each of Marawi’s 96 barangays, one rural health center for every 20,000 people, one lying-in facility and polyclinic for every 50,000 people, and one hospital bed for every 800 people.
She said that the DOH-run Amay Pakpak Medical Center, which can serve up to 320 patients, is the only hospital in Marawi.
“So it’s overstretched, but they have about 114 doctors, so they are coping. And they’re hiring contractual nurses and other personnel,” said Ubial, adding that the DOH has trained the staff of Amay Pakpak Medical Center on mental health to address the concerns of the evacuees.
She added that they have deployed over 300 medical and nursing personnel to Marawi and gave medicines to evacuees.
“We provide all the medicines, so none of the evacuees are asked to buy the medicines they need. Everything is provided by the Department of Health.”
But the health chief dmitted that the ongoing fighting in Marawi hampers the immediate access to the evacuation centers of health personnel.
“Our instructions to people in the field as much as possible is they try to get to all evacuees whether they are in the evacuation centers, in the capitol, or the houses. But we instruct them not to put their lives at risk,” Ubial said.
