Country short of medical experts

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda (left) exchanges views with retired President Benjamin Mkapa in Dar es Salaam yesterday during the third Benjamin Mkapa Foundation HIV/Aids stakeholders’ meeting. PHOTO | MICHAEL JAMSON 

By Ludger Kasumuni, The Citizen Reporter  

 

In Summary

• Mr Pinda told participants of the third Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Benjamin Mkapa AIDS Foundation (BMAF) in the city that currently, available health experts account for only 48 per cent of the country’s demands.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has a serious shortage of health experts, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said yesterday. According to the premier, the problem requires concerted efforts between the public and private sectors.

Mr Pinda told participants of the third Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Benjamin Mkapa AIDS Foundation (BMAF) in the city that currently, available health experts account for only 48 per cent of the country’s demands.

“I call upon Tanzanians to support this Foundation... This is necessary for tackling several problems affecting the health sector, especially shortage of the requisite human resource,” he said.

While the government was working hard to end the problem of HIV/Aids, improving working conditions for health workers and increasing their quantity to serve rural areas, the private-public partnership was needed to mobilise more resources for that purpose.