ZAMBOANGA CITY ? The Government of Japan, through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), donated medical equipment, including two sea ambulances, Friday to the Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM) and regional Department of Health.

The medical equipment MOH-BARMM received include two sea ambulance worth P6.5 million, 18 vaccine carriers, six Genexpert testing machines, 24,000 antigen testing kits, and 18 units of solar direct-drive vaccine refrigerators while the DOH-9 gets three cold chain vehicles.

The medical equipment are intended for the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

Koshikawa Kazuhiko, Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, and Troy Dooley, IOM-Philippines officer-in-charge, led the turnover of the medical equipment to the recipients in this city.

“It is our first time to provide sea ambulances. When I see the vessels this morning, I was gratified to know these vessels will greatly contribute to transportation of emergency cases,” Koshikawa said.

“The assistance comes at a very opportune time as the government boosts its efforts to recover from the pandemic and strengthen its COVID-19 vaccination program across the country,” Dooley said.

“We believe that the provided equipment will contribute to ensuring that no one, including the vulnerable populations such as migrants, returnees, and the Internally Displace Persons are not left behind in these critical services,” he added.

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the government of Japan and IOM for donating medical equipment intended for the three island provinces.

“The global pandemic came at one of our most important political phases ? the transition period. I hope that the key medical equipment will be of use of dear brothers and sisters in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi,” Ebrahim said in an audio-visual message.

The Japanese government and IOM hope that the assistance will help reduce COVID-19 induced constraints and challenges in achieving lasting peace and development.

“Japan firmly believes that peace is the foundation for happiness. It is the hope of the government of Japan and Japanese people that the people living in Mindanao will be able to enjoy peaceful and fulfilled lives,” Koshikawa said. DMS