AfricaPress-Tanzania: ELDERS can now have a reason to smile, after the government said in the House that it had started offering specialized mobile health services for them in some districts in the country.
The services, according to the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, include screening and medication upon diagnosis.
The ministry was giving a written response to a question by Ritta Kabati (CCM), who wanted to know the government’s plan for having a special mobile programme for providing special health services for senior citizens.
The MP remarked: “For a long time, the government has been stressing on the provision of free health services for elderly persons, who are mostly resident in rural areas. What is the government’s plan to take these services to villages?”
The ministry named some of the districts where the services were being offered as Morogoro municipality, Morogoro district council, as well as Gairo, Kilosa, Malinyi, Mlimba, Mvomero and Ifakara townships.
It further said that the services which are being offered in collaboration with Helpage International were also being offered in Magu municipal council in Mwanza Region and Korogwe Municipal Council in Tanga Region, saying that the programme will spread to other districts.
The ministry said reports showed that most senior citizens suffered from non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer.
“Apart from providing these services, we expect this programme to give the ministry a greater picture on how to improve services for elders,” she said.
On the construction of a special hospital for elders, the ministry said the government had no plans to do so but had already established special windows for them.
She added that the government had also been offering sponsorship for medical doctors who want to pursue further studies on medication for the elderly (Getriatic Medicine).
