Uhuru Day gala with a difference!

ALVAR MWAKYUSA

FOR the first time in the country’s history, Tanzania will mark its 54th Independence Anniversary without pomp and fanfare on December 9 as it has been in the past.

 

Instead, the people have been told to engage in nationwide cleanliness campaign aimed at checking re-occurrence of cholera and other filthborne maladies, President John Magufuli has directed.

The announcement was made in Dar es Salaam by the Chief Secretary (CS), Mr Ombeni Sefue, after a tour of Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), stressing that the Head of State was irked to see that after 54 years of independence, the people were still dying of water-borne diseases.

“The president has directed regional authorities to prepare for the cleanliness campaign. Regional leaders, who will fail to eradicate the disease in their regions after December, this year, will be liable for explanation (to the appointing authorities).

“There will be no parades or ceremony of any kind on December 9 and instead we should all embark on the environmental cleanliness drive,” Ambassador Sefue told journalists and health officials, who were seemingly puzzled by the announcement. The first cases of cholera were reported in Kinondoni Municipality, later spreading to Ilala and Temeke municipalities in Dar es Salaam Region. S

ince its outbreak in mid-August, this year, there have been 106 deaths reported deaths countrywide with some 7,598 people diagnosed and currently undergoing treatment.

According to the CS, President Magufuli has directed as well that funds allocated for the independence anniversary should be channelled to other development projects.

“I cannot say the exact amount to be saved at present but you will be informed when it is channelled to the respective development project,” Ambassador Sefue said when responding to a question by the ‘Daily News’ in regard to the sum budgeted for the annual celebration.

Meanwhile, maintenance of two major diagnostic equipments at MNH is in full gear and the machines are expected to resume operations this week. “I have been briefed by technicians repairing the equipment that the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner will be operational within three days while the Computed Tomography (CT-Scan) will be ready by tomorrow (today) or the day after Wednesday,” he explained.

He added that necessary spare parts are in place and so everything should be smooth. I have also directed technicians to remain at the hospital for at least one week to monitor performance of the machines,” Mr Sefue told reporters.

He went on to direct the management of MNH to ensure they include a component requiring suppliers of such equipment to train local technicians. The CS spent more than four hours as a follow-up visit to inspect directives made by President Magufuli during his recent tour at the country’s largest public hospital.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Donan Mmbando, said plans were underway to purchase MRI and CT-Scan to serve the new building at the hospital to be used by the Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute (MOI).

The new facility has already been fitted with 300 beds to accommodate patients who were hitherto lacking beds and thus resorting to sleeping on mattresses placed on the floors.