TB healthcare services brought closer to people

The government through the ministry of Health has decentralised Tuberculosis (TB) healthcare services to local authorities so to reduce inconveniences of covering long distances by people to health centres that number 78 countrywide.

This was said on August 29 by Health minister Ummy Mwalimu when presenting a report on Kibong’oto Hospital’s strategies against infectious diseases to the Parliamentary Social Service Committee.

Ms Mwalimu said they had decentralised TB healthcare services to the health centres to enable patients to receive treatment closer to their residences as well as to build people’s awareness on the disease and taking part fully in nursing patients, particularly on food, psychological and social issues.

The minister mentioned the locations of the health centres as including Kagera, Mtwara, Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Geita, Mbeya, Pwani, Mrorgoro, Njombe, Iringa, Tanga, Mwanza, Lindi and Pemba, saying so far about 112 patients had received treatment on chronic TB.

“Statistics indicate that among 100,000 people, 287 suffer from TB and among 100 people, 40 are diagnosed with the disease in the country,” she said.