AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRESIDENT John Magufuli yesterday touted herbal remedies for self-care and medication directing additional budget allocation for the traditional medicine department to improve healthcare service.
The new developments follow recent success organic concoction has had on combating the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
And the President acknowledged traditional healers who use herbs to heal illnesses, and tasked relevant authorities to ensure they are supported as a valid option in healthcare.
“For sometimes now we have been turned cowards by the developments in science and technology to ignore the plantbased traditional medication. We must change… this herb comes from the exact plants used in the making of prescription drugs,” he said.
Dr Magufuli who could not forget the position of religious leaders and prayers in the battle against the deadly coronavirus pandemic urged the general public not to forgo herbs.
He said in some European countries and China herbs are given priority and one can find stores for traditional medicine in the public domain.
Ill-wishers had thought Tanzania could see dead bodies flooding the streets owing to its approach to combat coronavirus.
The approach involved skipping the global lockdown approach, temporarily suspending schools, college and universities as well as sporting and gathering events.
During his address yesterday, Magufuli said: “We have shamed them.”
President Magufuli was speaking when presiding over the official launching of the newly-constructed Tanzania Rural Roads Agency (Tarura) headquarters in Dodoma.
Also yesterday, the Head of State laid a foundation stone for the construction of a 51.2 km long tarmac road at the government city—Mtumba.
The 89.13bn/- worth project will involve an 11.2km four-lane portion linking the government city to the Dar es Salaam—Dodoma highway.
Dr Magufuli said shortly before the opening of Tarura Headquarters that the government was set to implement several development projects in the capital city including the over 100km-long outer ring road and International Airport at Msalato.
Magufuli lauded the National Assembly however for endorsing legislation barring future attempts to relocate the government administration capital from Dodoma.
The National Assembly had based on the fact that the government had fully moved to the city alongside civil servants.
The President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Ministers and their Deputies, Permanent Secretaries and their Deputies as well as several government departments, institutions and authorities have moved permanently to Dodoma.
President Magufuli believes the ongoing construction work will ultimately change the outlook of the semi-arid region.
The Minister of State President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Governments, Selemani Jafo, explained that Tarura HQ is one of the state institutions to first build their structure at the 11-hectare piece of land owned by the ministry.
The minister directed planting of fruit trees across the city as part of the beautification measures.
“We cannot thank the president enough for what he has done for the nationals and people in Dodoma. I am certain that we must force him to accept my proposal to name the government city after Magufuli,” he noted.
Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (Tarura) Executive Director Victor Seif detailed that the Tarura HQ was constructed by Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) costing 1.95bn/-.
It will serve over 463.7m/- annually spent in renting an office in Dodoma. Initially, Tarura spent 1.19bn/- to rent private and public structures.
It was also revealed that the construction of the 51.2km long tarmac road in the new Capital has so far reached 18 per cent and was delayed by heavy rains but the contractor—China Henan International Cooperation Group had promised to increase equipment to match-up with the lost time.
The construction work will be completed by 2021.
