Aga Khan Hospital launches emergence services project
At least 35 women and children will undergo free reconstructive surgery during a three-day clinical camp at the Aga Khan Hospital (AKH) in Dar es Salaam starting from today.
The Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam signed and launched a two-year project to improve emergency services in the country.
The Sh1.88 billion project dubbed Improving Emergency Care in Tanzania (IMECT) is funded by the Polish government and Polish Center for International Aid will be implemented in seven hospitals based in Mwanza and Dar es Salaam.
The project will help the government to strengthen the infrastructure with provision of equipment to acute intake in public and private health facilities which include Mwananyamala, Chanika, Temeke, Bugando, Aga Khan Polyclinic Masaki, Aga Khan Zanzibar and Sekoutoure.
Head-Emergency and Critical Care Services Coordinator, Case Management in Outbreak and Disaster, Dr Easto Sylvanus said on Friday that the government was happy to receive such support because the services will boost current initiatives done by the respective ministry.
"During Covid -19, we realised that emergency services were vital to fight and reduce the number of deaths by 40 per cent; thus, we started emergency services at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) which reduced the number of death at MNH to 40 per cent, “he said.
He made the remarks on behalf of the Ministry of health, Permanent Secretary saying that though they have constructed several Intensive Care Unit (ICU) departments, 108 Emergency Medical Department (EMD) and installed some facilities, the equipment and experts are not enough.
There is still a gap of experts, the project will help the government to increase a number of quick response experts and improve EMD.
Dr Sylvanus noted that if they had enough quick response facilities and experts, 19 people who lost their lives in precision airlines would not have died.
Polish Center for International Aid chief executive officer Dr Wojtek Wilk said their organisation was not only providing emergency services to assist the local population but it will help create jobs and attract investors to invest in Tanzania.
Aga Khan project coordinator Dr Hussein Manji said emergency services response is one of the biggest problems in the country thus they will focus on teaching and enable instructors to train others so that when the projects get phased out, the services could continue
