MARAWI CITY (PIA)–The city now looks forward to a new two-storey city health unit ready to respond to medical needs of citizens as officials broke ground for the construction of the facility Wednesday, July 14.
“Our fight against the dreaded COVID-19 is far from over and the construction of this facility is an added armour to all our frontliners to efficiently provide health services to our constituents… This is the high time that we should strengthen the provision of health facilities to all our people as we are gearing towards a resilient, responsive and proactive City Health Unit here in Marawi City,” said City Mayor Majul Gandamra in his opening message.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III stressed that the eventual completion and operation of the Marawi City Health Unit aligned with the emergency assistance for the construction and recovery of Marawi project specifically in the area of restoring water utilities and health infrastructure.
He bared that the construction of the facility is through the generous partnership between the Asian Development Bank who backed the Emergency Assistance for the Reconstruction and Recovery of Marawi by its provision of $1.71 million as an urban climate change resilience trust fund grant.
Along with this also is the building of another local health unit, procurement of medical transport vehicles, monitoring visit vehicles, patient transport vehicles and ambulances, and provision of institutional and operational support for Marawi City and the municipality of Lumbayanague in the province of Lanao del Sur.
As the city health unit is perceived to be an added instrument to advance the preventive health services in the city, the design of the facility is seen to duly incorporate measures that are responsive to climate change and disaster resilience, and demonstrate transformative elements while providing necessary institutional and operational support.
City Health Officer II Dr. Ali Dalidig said about three districts and 24 barangays of the most affected area are to benefit as this will provide expenseless birth giving, medical checkup, medicines, among others.
Meanwhile, Duque recognized the event as an actual showcasing of the relationship that strives to have better medical services for the Filipino public.
“The groundbreaking ceremony not only marks the commencement of the construction of the Marawi City Health Unit but also affirms the commitment and partnerships integral to promoting better health outcomes and better futures for the Filipino people. The construction of this two-storey facility is not just a step towards improved health outcomes, but also a step towards honoring the humanity of every Filipino with no prejudice to status, stigma or condition, or social stature,” he said. (CRG/PIA-10/ICIC Lanao del Sur)
