Feel your pulse, please, counsels RC Makonda

By FATMA ABDU

DAR ES SALAAM Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda has called on residents to maintain a culture of ‘checking’ their health status regularly to ensure medical fitness.

The RC has counselled people to subscribe to medical insurance schemes as a means to reduce costs of health delivery within the city. Makonda was speaking yesterday during the launch of an obstetrics theatre, donated by GSM Foundation at Mwananyamala hospital in Kinondoni District.
He said that general medical check-up would help prevent potential health problems and facilitate early detection before their onset. He thanked the Foundation for their commitment to saving the lives of women, saying the move would help reduce deaths and improve medical services for pregnant women.
“… this should serve all women in the district … I called on hospital authorities to ensure the services are improved to save the lives of women … and people in general,” he said.
Kinondoni District medical officer Festo Dugange said over 20 per cent of patients attending the Mwananyamala facility were pregnant women in need of an operation, hailing the donation as ‘a vital improvement’ to its health delivery system. “ … this will go along to reducing ‘mother and child’ mortality (deaths).
Already, some 50 patients have been operated on … since the building finished.” GSM Foundation General Manager Eng Hersi Said puts the cost of the building, which houses two surgical rooms, at 420m/-. He called on other Tanzanians to support President Magufuli in his efforts to ensure improved medical services.