BENJAMIN Mkapa Hospital (BMH) plans to partner with Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in applying TB detection rats technology developed by the Morogorobased facility.
BMH Acting Executive Director, Dr Kessy Shija, speaking after a presentation on SUA’s detection rats technology, said BMH would consider partnering with SUA in its detection rats technology in the future. “We are pleased with the presentation on SUA’s detection rats technology.We’ll consider how we can partner with SUA in the new technology,” Dr Shija noted.
There are 10 million new global cases of TB per year and 1.6 million people die from the disease. In most sub-Saharan African countries, only about half of the patients with active TB are diagnosed. According to SUA’s Apopo TB Tanzania Programme Manager, Dr Georges Mgogo, Apopo is a non-profit organisation with Belgian roots, which researches, develops and implements detection rats technology for humanitarian purposes.
They call their trained rats HeroRATS. Dr Mgogo noted that Apopo and the HeroRATS were saving thousands of lives across the globe by detecting unexploded landmines and missed cases of TB and the rats had an incredible sense of smell.
“They are cheap to maintain and easy to transport. Rats are fast, accurate and efficient in their tasks,” he said.Dr Mgogo said Apopo used African Giant Pouched Rats available in the country and not a single HeroRAT had ever been hurt or injured as a result of their detection work.
“We work in partnership with these wonderful animals and do everything we can to ensure they are treated like the heroes they are. All of our HeroRATs receive an exciting and notorious diet,” he said.
Meanwhile, BMH plans to conduct yet other four renal transplantations between January 6 and 7, according to Dr Shija.Dr Shija said so far seven people had undergone kidney transplantation at the hospital since the inception of the medical service early last year.
“The number of kidney transplantations conducted at BMH will now reach 11 from seven,” he said while briefing reporters and government communication officers on the achievements of the hospital for a four-year period under President John Magufuli’s administration.
Dr Shija further said at least 15 kidney transplantation beneficiaries were monitored by the hospital, pointing out while seven kidney transplantation beneficiaries had undergone the operation at BMH, other eight beneficiaries had undergone operations overseas and at Muhimbili National Hospital.
“We have reduced the burden on the government to send patients overseas for kidney transplantation after introducing the medical service,” he said.
