NBC HANDS OVER NEW MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WORTH TSHS 54 M
FOR MOBILE CLINICS
12, December 2006
NBC has today handed over new medical
equipment worth Tshs 54 m for its mobile clinics operating
in Dar es Salaam Region.
The Acting NBC Managing Director Johann De Wet handed over
the equipment to the Dar es Salaam Public Health Delivery
Systems Boards Association in the presence of the Minister
of State in the Prime Minister’s Office: Regional
Administration and Local Government. Hon. Mizengo Pinda
(MP), Representatives of Donor Agencies, Local Government
and NGO representatives, Stakeholders in the Medical
Industry and members of the press at a colorful ceremony
held at the Karimjee Grounds in Dar es Salaam.
NBC purchased four fully equipped mobile clinics in 2002.
These clinics were bought to help in providing the much
needed medical health services in the country. The
improvement of medical services plays a pivotal role in
achieving Tanzania’s Millennium Development Goals, by
reducing Child Mortality and Improving Maternal Health.
NBC decided to hand over the day to day running of these
clinics to the Dar es Salaam Public Health Delivery Systems
Boards association, who work under the able medical
supervision of the Dar es Salaam Municipal Council. The four
mobile clinics are each based in Dar es Salaam’s three
municipalities that are Ilala, Temeke and Kinondoni. The
fourth one is dedicated to primary school children in the
city.
Dar es Salaam is a big region with a population estimated at
around 2,500,000 people. Due to a number of inhibiting
factors in the Dar es Salaam communities, such as
illiteracy, poverty and poor infrastructure, hundreds of
mothers and children in the region are left without the
basic medical attention, resulting in either terminal
illnesses or death at times to a number of mothers and
children.
“It is our sincere hope that the introduction of the NBC
mobile clinics has to a great extent reduced and even saved
lives of many mothers and children especially in the remote
areas of the region,” the Acting NBC Managing Director said.
The NBC Mobile Clinics initiative is a unique project in
Tanzania, and NBC are proud to be involved in the endeavor.
“We take this opportunity to congratulate and thank the Dar
es Salaam Public Health Delivery Systems Boards Association,
and their entire medical staff, for their commitment and
hard work to ensure that the clinics serve the targeted
residents of Dar es Salaam by providing the much needed
medical services free of charge,” said De Wet.
NBC is committed to the program and has continued to support
HBA by paying over Tzs 2 million every month, which caters
for the maintenance of the vehicles, general service, and
other operational expenses. NBC also covers the payment of
the insurance premiums for the vehicles. To date NBC has
invested over Tzs 300 million on these mobile clinics.
“We are now in the fourth year of operations of the mobile
clinics. Due to this, some of the medical equipment needed
to be replaced and even upgraded. Today we hand over to HBA
new equipment, which we believe will bring better service to
mothers and children who attend and depend on the mobile
clinic services. NBC presents to you various medical
equipment from weighing scales (for expecting mothers and
children), Blood Pressure machines , Stethoscopes,
Microscopes, Centrifuge Electric Machines, ENT diagnostic
machine sets, Gluco meters and instruments which were not
available in the clinics before the Dry Chemistry Analyzers.
The total investment on the equipment is USD 43,000
equivalent to Tzs 54 million,” said the Managing Director.
NBC hopes the donation will improve the quality of medical
services in Dar es Salaam, and the mobile clinics will
continue providing the much needed free medical services to
the targeted mothers and children.
