Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Hussein Ali Hassan Mwinyi has said inefficiency in the healthcare system and other challenges in the sector are caused by poor management.
The Isles president shared his observation during his meeting with employees in the health sector yesterday in Zanzibar, an opportunity he used to listen to their grievances and other challenges facing them.
He said most of the chal lenges exposed by the staff from different sections of the health system, such as lack of syringes, hospital gloves, and petri dishes could be avoided or resolved if the management was organised.
The ordinary health staff from different departments, including social welfare, dental, surgery, orthopedic, maternity, children, eye, physio-therapy, cleaning, and oncology, among others mentioned many problems facing them.
Unfavourable working environment, frequent shortage of essential medicines and equipment, lack of funds, laziness, lack of cooperation between workers and management, shortage of staff, unskilled labour (including lack of bio technicians), lack of training and capacity buildings are some of the challenges revealed at the meeting.
Mr Hamid Abdalla Masoud from Mnazi Mmoja also mentioned lack of maintenance (equipment, machines, buildings), lack of reagents, ambulance, and unfriendly environment for people with disability (lack of communication- sign language, and infrastructure), and congestions in administrative offices, surgical rooms, and patients as some of the challenges.
“We are really desperate Mr President. Challenges which include low salary (compared to our colleagues working in Tanzania mainland or East African region), denial or lack of allowances (leave, overtime/difficult environment, and uniforms), and even dilapidated toilets and ventilation, undermine our performance,” the health staff informed the President.
Ms Rukia Baloo, a nurse said that most of the current problems facing the health sector, particularly in rural areas are linked to failures of Decentralisation- by-Devolution (DbyD) because since the policy was established almost five years ago, health facilities under decentralisation lack funding.
In response to the massive complaints from the health staff, Dr Mwinyi said the challenges should be solved starting with commitment by everyone, good planning, proper use of the available funds and team working.
He said better healthcare is built under five pillars: Infrastructure (admit wards not in good condition); Skilled labour; commodities (sustainable supply of equipment and essential medicines); Finance/funds (and alternative sources of financing such as charging tourists and allowing health insurance); and Health Information Management system.
As the government work on the challenges raised by health staff, Dr Mwinyi directed frequent meetings between management and workers in all sections as one of the ways to resolve the problems, including being creative in finding solutions to problems; evaluating the DbyD (whether to retain the policy or do-away-with-it); and having ‘scheme of service in health ministry.
Meanwhile, President Mwinyi has appointed Eng. Zena Ahmed Said as new Chief Secretary (CS) of the Revolutionary Council (cabinet). She replaces Dr Abdulhamid Yahya Mzee who officially retired in December 31, 2020 after serving in the position for more than 10 years.
Dr Mwinyi’s appointment is backed by section 49(1) of Zanzibar 1984 constitution, and the new CS who became the first female ever to hold that position since the revolution, was a Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Union government.
Meanwhile, police here are holding 24 people arrested in connection with illegal transportation of TV sets and sugar to mainland without clearing tax clearance.
According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Awadhi Juma Haji, other suspects are linked to fake security officers, and owning a fake AK47 weapon, military uniform, and several items, including mobile phone handsets suspected to have been stolen.
