PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has affirmed that come end this year, not a single hospital in the country will run out of drugs and other essential medical supplies.
The PM says in its new plans to improve the health sector in the country, notably supply of medicines, the government has since increased its budget for drug procurement.
He was speaking at the suburban Amana Hospital in Dar es Salaam during the official launch of a new ward for mother and child healthcare constructed by the Dar es Salaam Regional authorities under the sponsorship of Amsons Group of Companies.
In ensuring that there were enough drugs in all hospitals across the country, the government had taken measures aimed at increasing the budget for buying medicines from 30bn/- in 2015/2016 to 270bn/- in FY 2017/2018.
“This has facilitated direct purchase and distribution of drugs in our hospitals, dispensaries and health centres countrywide and we believe no any Tanzanian will lack drugs by the end of this year,’’ he said.
The PM added that the government was equally committed to improving all referral hospitals that is why in 2010 Amana hospital in Ilala, Temeke hospital (Temeke) and Kinondoni’s Mwananyamala hospital were authorised to become referral hospitals.
“We also increased the number of health centres from 6,321 in 2010 to 7,680 in 2016, 86.7 per cent of them at dispensary level, 9.9 per cent are district-designated centres while 3.4 per cent are hospitals,’’ he said.
Apart from spending 161bn/- to repair 170 health centres and improve service to mother and child health care, there were also other plans to purchase 120 ambulances that will help in the provision of service to patients.
Yesterday, Amana hospital received yet another boost after the premier launched a modern building for mother and child health care to accommodate at least 100 expectant mothers or newborn babies.
The two storey building was constructed within six months. According to Amsons Group of Companies Managing Director (MD) Edha Nahdi, his company provided over 1.2bn/- for the construction of a new building after realising that there was an outdated maternity ward at the hospital when the company participated on the cleaning exercise at the facility.
Amana hospital Chief Medical Officer, Dr Meshack Shimwela said his hospital receives between 500 and 1200 patients everyday where as those who are admitted at the maternity ward everyday ranges between 150 and 200.
“Between 60 and 80 women deliver babies everyday and 25 per cent of them get their babies through caesarian section, and between 40 and 70 new born babies are admitted at our hospital because of low weight, premature and other related reasons,’’ he added.
Dr Shimwela added that the launching of the new building was yet another boost at the hospital as now the hospital will be able to admit 353 expectant mothers or new born babies up from the previous 253.
Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner (RC), Paul Makonda who approached the management of Amsons Group of Companies to solicit funds for the construction of the building thanked Mr Nahdi for the support from his company and asked other businesspeople in the country to emulate him in helping Tanzanians especially in the health sector.
“The Dar es Salaam population is increasing at a supersonic speed that we cannot control, so it is important to have enough and improved health infrastructure for the people’s health security,’’ he added.
The deputy minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Faustine Ndugulile said his ministry had taken measures to reduce maternal and newborn deaths, saying: “No one should die during delivering because pregnancy is not sickness.’’
