The doctor-in-charge of the Sengerema designated district hospital, Sister Dr. Marie Jose, speaks at the launch of the "Treat & Train" programme in Sengerema district, Mwanza region, recently. African Barrick Gold (ABG) has donated $130,000 to expand access to healthcare in the Lake Zone regions of Tanzania.
A section of students from the Bugando Medical Centre who are studying to become Assistant Medical Officers (in white coats) listen to proceedings at the launch of the "Treat & Train" programme. African Barrick Gold (ABG) has donated $130,000 to expand access to healthcare in the Lake Zone regions of Tanzania.
African Barrick Gold (ABG) has partnered with the Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), the Catholic University College of Health Sciences (CUHAS) and the Touch Foundation to increase access to healthcare for thousands of patients in Tanzania’s Lake Zone through the training of medical students.
Healthcare delivery and patient access to medical care in the densely-populated Lake Zone area is amongst the worst in Tanzania, which has an average of only one doctor for every 20,000 people.
ABG has thus donated US$130,000 (approximately 200 million Tanzanian shillings), through the ABG Maendeleo Fund, to the training programme developed by BMC, CUHAS and the Touch Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving access to quality, basic healthcare and training healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa.
“ABG is pleased to work with CUHAS, BMC and the Touch Foundation to support the training of medical students and to improve access to medical care in the Lake Zone,” said Deo Mwanyika, Vice President Corporate Affairs
The Treat & Train programme, an innovative and cost-effective care and treatment programme, brings paediatric, surgery, internal medicine and obstetrics/gynecology specialists to help train students and to treat patients in the Lake Zone, thereby increasing access to medical care in rural areas. Senior Vice President to Touch Dr. Steve Justus notes, “the Treat & Train program will also have the added benefit of helping doctors and specialists feel part of an integrated system and improve referrals throughout the Lake Zone, thereby increasing retention of healthcare workers in the Lake Zone.”
In collaboration with public and private partners, the Touch Foundation has been working with BMC and CUHAS since 2004 to train hundreds of new healthcare workers, including urgently-needed doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians.
ABG’s donation benefits medical students and thousands of patients in the Lake Zone regions, who usually have to travel for long distances to access medical services.
The programme works by pooling and rotating cross-disciplinary, highly trained clinical teams to rural facilities throughout western Tanzania.
The innovative system, which also supports rotations of assistant medical officer students and medical students from BMC and CUHAS, respectively, and overseen by posted specialists and rotating CUHAS faculty, gives rural patients increased access to skilled health workers.
CRC Members For Capacity Building
Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) Secretary Mr. Assaa Rashid (centre) chats with Board Member of the Open Society Initiative for East Africa (OSIEA) Prof. Chirss Maina Peter (right) when the OSIEA delegation visited the CRC offices in Dar es Salaam today . Left is the OSIEA Director Ms. Binaifer Nowrojee.
Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) Chair Joseph Warioba (left) chats with Ms. Binaifer Nowrojee (2nd right), the Director of Open Society Initiative for East Africa (OSIEA) and its Board Member Prof. Chirss Maina Peter (right) when the two paid him a courtesy call at his Dar es Salaam office today (Tuesday, November 20, 2011). Looking on is the CRC Deputy Secretary Mr. Casmir Kyuki.
By: Special Correspondent
The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) has highlighted three areas which it plans to undertake capacity building measures for its members so that they make informed decisions
Speaking to the delegation of the Nairobi-based Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA) in Dar es Salaam today (Tuesday, November 20, 2012) the CRC Chairman, former Prime Minister Joseph Warioba said that the measures were aimed at enabling CRC members to make informed decisions as they prepare draft constitution.
The OSIEA delegation, led by its Director Ms. Binaifer Nowrojee and accompanied by its Tanzania Programme Officer Ms. Shamshad Rehmatullah and its Board Member Prof. Chriss Maina Peter paid a courtesy call to Mr. Warioba at his Dar es Salaam office and discussed various ways of collaboration. The meeting was also attended by the CRC Secretary Mr. Assaa Rashid and his Deputy Mr. Casmir Kyuki.
According to Mr. Warioba, the capacity building measures will cover three areas namely types of electoral systems, state ownership in the management of natural resources especially land and social security.
Apart from the three, Mr. Warioba also said his Commission was ready to work with other stakeholders in area of public education especially during constitutional fora stage, currently scheduled for June 2013, when common representatives of wananchi will discuss the draft constitution.
On the electoral system, Mr. Warioba, hinted that the CRC was receiving conflicting views from members of the public on the best type electoral system that was democratic but also affirmative.
“You know that currently we have over 350 Members of Parliament (MPs), some under special seats … as we collect views from members of the public, we receive conflicting views on these,” said Mr. Warioba explaining that some people want the special seats retained in the new Constitution while others proposes for their abolishment.
“We are looking at what type of electoral system is democratic and also affirmative,” he said adding that it was crucial for members of the Commission to be well informed before drafting anything on the issue.
On management of natural resources, the CRC Chairman said according to the opinions the CRC is receiving so far, ownership and allocation of land and other natural resources was critical and the CRC members needed to be well informed especially on areas of public participation and decision making processes on natural resources.
Commenting on the areas, Ms. Nowrojee said her firm was ready to support the CRC in realising its plans and requested for detailed proposal.
“We are ready to support all these plans as we have done in other countries. We basically assist what you ask for. We have no position and you will have to vet for the experts we propose,” she said adding that her firm was in favour of using local and regional experts in capacity building initiatives they support.
Responding to the offer, the CRC Chairman said he was pleased to receive the offer and directed the CRC Secretariat to prepare detailed proposal for the OSIEA.
