AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE University of Dodoma (UDOM) has begun producing instant hand sanitizers, heeding the government call that requires local manufacturers to produce the product, an important tool in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
UDOM Vice Chancellor, Prof Faustine Bee said hand sanitizers are produced through its pharmaceutical Scientists-College of Health Sciences and UDOM hospital as well as Laboratory Technicians- College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences.
Prof Bee said they decided to take decisive and commensurate response to ensure protection of its staff by providing one free hand sanitizer to each staff member.
He added that as a university, they are finalizing compliance procedures directed by the Tanzania Medicine and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) so that it can avail them to the public at a reasonable price as the country fights against coronavirus.
“We will ensure availability of affordable sanitizers to the general public by selling them at affordable prices of between 5,000/- to 10,000/-, as compared to 10,000/- and 25,000/- respectively which is the current market price” he said.
He said UDOM was currently undertaking research towards production of quality face masks that will suit the needs of majority Tanzanians.
Earlier, the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Joyce Ndalichako commended UDOM for the efforts in the production of affordable instant sanitizers to help the country in the fight against Covid-19.
“I appreciate your efforts, and I urge all institutions and agencies under my ministry to purchase affordable sanitizers from UDOM.”
Industries and Trade Minister, Innocent Bashungwa recently met with manufacturers and distributors of sanitizers to see their availability and increased production.
Mr Bashungwa tasked The Fair Competition Commission (FCC) to ensure that there is unbiased competition in the business, and Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) to carry out a countrywide inspection and ensure that only quality and reasonable price(s) of sanitizers, masks and disinfectant are availed.
He asked the manufacturers to exploit the glitch by increasing production that meets local demand and export to neighbouring countries.
The minister said the meeting followed a number of tours in Dar es Salaam to see production at the industries, where availability of raw materials could pose a challenge for massive production.
“There was a huge gap in terms of prices for the sanitizers… now that they are highly needed as the country fights coronavirus, thus joint effort is important to address the issue,” said Mr Bashungwa.
However, the minister cautioned traders against taking the situation as a loophole to produce substandard sanitizers and make more money, saying that the government will not tolerate the habit at the expense of Tanzanians.
Mr Bashungwa noted that it has come to their attention after the meeting that shortage of ethanol was a problem the manufactures face in order to produce sanitizers to meet current demand.
He said TIRDO is producing enough ethanol, and asked the manufacturing companies to visit them, adding “We are in discussions with sugar manufacturing companies on the need to produce more ethanol as a by-product to meet the raw materials’ demand.”
