Opinion/Editorial
By The citizen
In Summary
While economic realities make it easier to put up
private health centres in urban areas, the situation is different in the
villages, where up to 40 per cent of the people live on less than
Sh2,000 per day--an amount that is not even enough for consultation fees
for doctors.
The health of our people is non-negotiable for
the simple reason that medical care is a human right. That is why the
people of this country were receiving free medical care even before
independence--wherever and whenever it was available, that is. The
population has risen from five million at independence to 45 million,
but this surge has not been at par with the capacity of the government
to provide free and quality medical care for all.
This situation saw the government issuing licence
to private medical facilities in the late 1980s with the expectation
that they would complement government efforts in heath provision.
Most health facilities are concentrated in towns,
which is a contradiction because the majority of Tanzanians--well over
80 per cent--live in rural areas. There is a great demand for more
public health facilities in rural areas.
While economic realities make it easier to put up
private health centres in urban areas, the situation is different in the
villages, where up to 40 per cent of the people live on less than
Sh2,000 per day--an amount that is not even enough for consultation fees
for doctors.
The low number of medical facilities in rural
areas explains why Tanzania has such a high rate of maternal deaths,
which stand at 454 per 100,000 live births. This is among the highest in
the world. It is an unacceptable situation.
We must step up our efforts to put up hospitals
and health centres in rural areas--and especially mother and child
units. And then we must work at ensuring there are enough medical
personnel spread out in the country.
When this groundwork has been laid, we will have
to work at attracting and retaining medical staff in rural facilities.
We need to ensure they feel wanted and appreciated. Only then will they
feel comfortable working in villages and remote areas.
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