Africa-Press – Tanzania. The Tanzania Association of Radiographers (TARA) has called for the introduction of special programmes in schools for incubating children at grassroots level become future radiologists to curb shortage of such professionals.
TARA president, Mr Bakari Msongamwanja, made the call recently during a- three-day conference that brought together various stakeholders from the radiology industry to discuss strengths and challenges that the association faces.
The president revealed that the government has made a step ahead in terms of availability of radiology equipment, but shortage of experts was still among major challenges.
“In 2019, the number of registered professionals nationwide was 1,200, which was very low number compared to the available equipment. And we have only two colleges in the country offering radiology,-related courses, namely Bugando and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS),” he said.
He stressed that radiotherapists are among specialists most needed in the health sector, noting that the government continues making efforts to improve radiology services as per the policy, which directs that such services be available from the dispensary level in order to reduce, among others, maternal and child mortality.
For his part, the Coordinator of Radiology Services in Shinyanga Region, Mr Faustine Mulyutu advised that efforts for nurturing radiologists from the grassroots level should be made in line with an increase in number of colleges for radiology courses.
The move will trigger the increase in experts and make the availability of at-least three radiologists in every District hospital and (at-least) seven in a regional hospital.
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