AfricaPress-Tanzania: KILIMANJARO Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) has indefinitely postponed a four-day International Conference on Cancer that was scheduled to start on April 1st this year, as a precautionary measure to stem the spread of the Coronavirus.
The KCMC Zonal Referral Hospital Executive Director, Professor Gileard Masenga said here yesterday that the institution considered it important to cancel the conference on the set dates amidst the outbreak of the pandemic that has been reported in more than 150 countries worldwide.
“The move is meant to protect Tanzanians from this pandemic which has claimed the lives of many people worldwide; it is a tough but necessary decision to limit the spreading of the virus in the country. For us at KCMC people’s lives are given the first priority,” he said.
The conference that was to be held in Moshi was expected to draw participants from different parts of the world including Germany, England, Italy and the United States to mention but a few, whereby different presentations concerning the cancer pandemic were expected to be presented by experts.
Citing other precautionary measures taken by the institution concerning the pandemic, Prof Masenga said it included that of providing education to the members of staff of the health institution, teachers, patients, patients’ relatives as well as other visitors of the KCMC Zonal Referral Hospital.
“We have also introduced testing and hand washing services using disinfectants to all the patients and other visitors who enter the hospital area; everybody who enters the KCMC area will have to be tested and wash hands in areas which have been set for the purposes,” he noted.
The health expert who was flanked by other heads of departments at the major hospital said that the hospital’s administration had also directed that only one person would be allowed to visit or attend a patient (those who are seriously ill) so as to avoid the unnecessary congestion at the hospital.
“We advise patients coming for clinic appointments here to come alone and if necessary to be accompanied by only one person; the relatives who accompany or attend serious patients will be provided with special hospital’s identification cards to avoid unnecessary inconveniences.
“The KCMC Zonal Referral Hospital’s administration urges all Tanzanians, especially those residing in the Northern Zone regions to be patient in this period when the government continues to take precautionary measures concerning the disease which so far doesn’t have a preventive vaccine,” he said.
For her part, the KCMC Director of Hospital Services, Dr Sarah Urassa, reminded people of the importance of washing their hands while at the same time putting in consideration other precautionary directives provided by health experts concerning the Corona virus so as to avoid getting the disease.
