According to the minister, the fund is part of the Comprehensive Hospital Operation Plan (CHOP) currently implemented by the office of the President, Regional Administration and Local Governments (RALG). “RALG is planning to build 67 hospitals across a number of councils, including Rukwa region,” he said during the forthcoming budget, the ministry intends to spend at least 100.5bn/- for the purpose.
Rukwa is one of the regions in the country where new mothers share beds, and sometimes they are forced to sleep on the floor due to the crisis. Special Seats MP, Ms Aida Khenani (CCM) said the situation was becoming worse, telling the government to describe special measures it was taking to address the challenge. Dr Ndugulile acknowledged the problem, attributing it to lack of sufficient infrastructure.
He said the maternal ward at the regional hospital was incapacitated to accommodate the increasing demand for improved health services. He said the hospital that started as a health centre in 1974 had no district hospital, thus pushing the demand for decentralised service to greater heights. But he said under the comprehensive health plan, the government had completed construction of additional two maternity wards, adding up at least 20 beds at the hospital that serve two different councils in the region.
He went on to note that the government is also rehabilitating infrastructures of six health centres at Mazwi, Nkomolo, Kirando, Mwimbi, Legeza Mwendo and Milepe. “All this seeks to improve health service care and treatment in the region.
The key focus is to improve maternal and newborn health,” he noted. Dr Ndugulile told the National Assembly yesterday that such measures are expected to boost service provision not only for new mothers and new born babies but to the entire community.
“We understand the demand and now the two government aided institutions are working on how to increase admission partly to address the shortage of social workers in the society,” he said. Figures from the ministry of health indicate that Social Work Institute admitted at least 625 social workers students in 2016/17 academic year.
In 2017/18 academic year, a total of 607 students were admitted in various cadres, including certificate level, diploma, degree and masters level. “Our Kisaranga Institute started admission in 2017/18 academic year with about 625 students, of which 28 were admitted for masters class,” he said while responding to a question posed by special seats MP Fatma Toufiq. According to the minister, the graduates will be ready to serve the community at village level, health centres and dispensaries.