Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government outlined some measures currently being undertaken to improve maternal and child healthcare so as to reduce maternal and infant mortality in the country.
During the official launch of the 101bn/- new Maternal and Newborn wing at the CCBRT Hospital in Dar es Salaam, on Tuesday President Samia Suluhu Hassan said improving maternal and child healthcare is one of the priorities of the sixth phase government.
She further said, the government is constructing modern maternal and newborn buildings in 11 referral hospitals in Mbeya, Songwe, Njombe, Geita, Kili- manjaro, Simiyu, Katavi, Mwanza, Mwananyamala (in Dar es Salaam), Morogoro and Tabora regions.
The move is part of continued efforts of CCM-the ruling party election manifestos for 2020- 2025, adding that the government will improve provision of maternal health and ensure related services are provided free of charge.
Elaborating, the Head of State noted that CCBRT project also complements the implementation of the government’s five year development plan which Tanzania targets to reduce maternal deaths to 220 per 100,000 live births.
“Also there is a target of reducing infant mortality rate from 51 to 41 per 1,000 live births,” she said, adding that the government is taking initiatives to ensure the number is even lowered.
Impressed with the new facility, President Samia said the government is also looking forward to building a state-of-art structure in Dodoma, as part of efforts to bring closer improved healthcare service to the people.
“The CCBRT’s new maternity and newborn wing is a structure of its kind with total supportive infrastructure for expectant mothers including those with disabilities.
Moreover, it has modern facilities that put the hospital at world standard,” she pointed out.
The building that is capable of catering for 300 expectant mothers per day is also equipped with modern laboratories, five Out Patient rooms, 160 beds of which 50 have been connected with oxygen and 46 for infants.
She added: “I am also impressed to learn that the facility has eight private rooms for delivering, where an expectant mother can be allowed to be accompanied by one family member.
In a related development, President Samia assured the hospital of the government’s commitment to supply it with medical staff as per their agreement.
Equally, she instructed the ministry of health to supervise and ensure provision of proper healthcare services across the country is given priority.
Describing how the hospital’s contribution of healthcare was important in the country, she still asked its management to support the government in the fight against early pregnancies, which lead to fistula among young women.
According to her, in Tanzania there are around 12,000-19,000 women who develop fistula, saying there is a need for collaborative efforts between the government and members of the public in fighting it.
Earlier, the minister for Health Ummy Mwalimu reminded Tanzanians to continue taking Covid-19 vaccine to prevent further spread of the global pandemic.
The minister said so far only 27 per cent of the adult population has been vaccinated, calling for more efforts to ensure more people get the jab.
“Still there are Covid-19 cases in Tanzania, by Monday there were 7 cases of which 6 were from Dar es Salaam,” she said, adding that on July,1 the country had 31 Covid-19 cases.
For her part the CCBRT’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms Brenda Msangi said the hospital would continue supporting the government commitments and endeavors in transforming the health sector for raised welfare of Tanzanians. “CCBRT and its partners launched phase two of a multi pillared response strategy to ensure successful implementation of a 12-year initiative, specifically aimed at improving the maternal healthcare system in Dar es Salaam,” she said.
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