253 nurses deployed to ARMM RHUs, hospitals

Dr. Eshir Ismael, Municipal Health Officer of Datu Piang, Maguindanao gives orientation to nurses to be deployed in his area. The NARS program, a joint project of DOH, DOLE and PRC, will deploy 253 nurses starting June 1 to various rural health units and hospitals all over ARMM.

COTABATO CITY – Two hundred fifty-three qualified nurses under the Nurses Assigned in Rural Services (NARS) program were deployed to various rural health units and hospitals all over the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) starting June 1, 2009.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-ARMM Secretary Emmanuel Alano said he was directed by ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan to him to immediately start the NARS program in the region. He said Governor Ampatuan further directed him to dispatch immediately these nurses so that they can help in the delivery of health care services to the constituents of the region.

Alano said ARMM was given five (5) slots per municipality or a total of 445 nurses for the NARS program.

Project NARS is a training cum employment program designed to hire unemployed registered nurses in for work in rural areas in the country to improve the delivery of health care service.

Alano said that the program will established a pool of trained, competent and available registered nurses in the region for local employment. ‘They will be warriors of wellness for our people in the region especially our people in the remote areas who are in need of better health services,” he said.

NARS is built within the framework of the “Economic Resillency Plan of the Arroyo Government” and the Department of Health’s “Formula One for Health”.

During the NARS Orientation here on Monday, Dr. Gina Macapeges of DOH-ARMM said that the nurses will be of big help to the ARMM Health workforce in the municipalities.

Macapeges said these nurses are deployed to their assigned municipalities properly oriented and properly endorsed to their assigned provincial and municipal health officials.

She said DOH-ARMM Secretary Tahir Sulaik asked the assistance of hospital authorities in the region to give free board and lodging during their stay and asked also local government units to augment or assist in the transportation allowances of these nurses assigned in remote communities in their respective municipalities.

According to Dr. Eshir Ismael, Municipal Health Officer of Datu Piang, Maguindanao the experience of these nurses in the NARS program will enlighten them on what is Public Service because they will be out giving health care service to our people especially in the remote communities.

Benzar Tayuan, a recipient of the NARS program, deployed in Datu Piang, Maguindanao-RHU said this time is the right time for him to give service especially to the evacuees in the area who, he said, are suffering the longest time since August of last year.

The nurses will be receiving P8,000.00 a month stipend. The program will run for six months.

Alano said budget for the first two months are now ready in his office. (bpi-armm)