Africa-Press – Tanzania. BARIADI District residents, including Ward Councillors have lamented over poor and delayed medical services at Muungano Health Centre, calling upon the government to intervene.
According to them, the centre doesn’t offer the 24-hour services it claims to provide, however, most of its services end by 10:00 pm with no any reasons provided.
Presenting during the Councillors’ meeting over the weekend, Bariadi Ward Councillor, Mr Kija Bulenya noted that despite being well equipped, the institution has turned to be chaos to the residents, instead of providing them with friendly and reliable services.
“People from different angles keep on lamenting to us councillors that they are neglected and worse, the staff there attend to the patients, when they feel like,” he pointed out.
Worse still, he added, the center stays open during nights but without any services despite the presence of staff, including doctors taking deep naps. He stressed that every public servant should stick to the ethics, especially those in health sector whose services have direct association with human lives.
On his part, Bariadi Council’s Chairperson, Mr David Masanja said he frequently has receives claims of poor services at the center, mostly during night time when patients have no alternatives.
He questioned that if the government has already provided medical equipment and human resources, then why must the residents frustrated and provided with unreliable services? “Let the relevant authorities cast an eye on this issue to avoid the preventable inconvenience to patients,” he recommended.
Meanwhile, the Isanga Ward Councillor, Mr Nashon Ngusa, urged the authority to provide health service providers at Isanga Dispensary with more staff, saying the one and only available nursing officer gets overwhelmed.
“Again, the dispensary is well equipped but no reliable services due to absence of the doctors,” he said, explaining that: “We all know that the nursing officer’s responsibilities are limited, need to be backed up by a doctor. We had one doctor who recently went for advanced studies, hence, a need for replacement.”
Bariadi Council’s Director, Mr Melkezedeck Humbe, admitted the shortage, saying some dispensaries have been receiving doctors only when necessary.
“For the case of Muungano Health Center, we are keenly working on it and will soon take appropriate measures,” he said.
