Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Health Promotion and System Strengthening Project (HPSS) has handed over Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment worth 37.7m/- to Mvumi Institute of Health Sciences in Dodoma to strengthen its Biomedical Engineering Training Unit.
The equipment that were handed over the weekend included desktop computers, laptops, projector and projector screens and expected to strengthen the delivery of the training introduced at the institute with the aim of bridging the shortage of human resources in the health sector.
The project is a joint venture between Tanzania and Switzerland funded by the Swiss government through its development and cooperation organization (SDC) and implemented by the Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH).
According to Swiss TPH/ HPSS Project Manager, Ally Kebby the equipment will build the capacity of the institute to train a new generation of experts in the field of medical equipment engineering, which is essential in the delivery of health and medical services in the country.
He added that his organization will continue to support the health sector through the institute especially in the area of Biomedical Engineering that proved to have a scarcity of human resources.
“The cadre has no sufficient expertise, thus prompting the government to buy new medical equipment every time when such equipment gets technical faults… through the project the experts will be able to carry maintenance instead of buying new equipment,” further said Kebby.
He further said that they aim to build the capacity of the institute to provide training to the young generation in the Biomedical Engineering field is crucial in the provision of health care and treatment.
Mr Kebby further added that, the support will also enable the institute to strengthen its capacity and develop skills training with the aim of equipping students with necessary skills in the field of medical equipment engineering in Tanzania.
For his part, the Head of the institute, Prof Charles Mazengo, said the equipment is a great help to them in teaching students, which are now seven in number as first year students and six in the second year.
“HPSS has started to push this project forward, so we will not only be waiting for help, but we will also put more effort in mobilizing the resources to ensure this course will be sustainable,” he said.
The Swiss TPH/HPSS Project, which has been implemented in the country since 2011, is supporting the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and Children and President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government in health systems strengthening by introducing innovative approaches for improving management and capacity development.
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