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Tanzania: MP Wants Govt to Probe Deaths At Hospitals
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
17 July 2008
Posted to the web 18 July 2008
A Member of Parliament has asked the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to probe controversial maternal death cases at health facilities in Dar es Salaam.
Nominated MP Susan Lyimo (Chadema) cited the recent death of a pregnant woman, Teddy Dimoso, at Mwananyamala hospital.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, the opposition MP demanded the Health minister, Prof David Mwakyusa, to form an independent committee to probe the death.
The MP's comments come in the wake of public dissatisfaction with a report released by a committee that was appointed by Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Abbas Kandoro to investigate the death.
"The public is not satisfied with the findings of the Kandoro team. It is high time the minister appoints an independent committee to probe Mwananyamala incident," said the MP when debating the ministry's budget estimates for the 2008/09 financial year.
She noted that the Mwananyamala incident was not an isolated case, but an indication of what is happening in the country's public hospitals.
According to the legislator, it was astounding to note that Teddy and her infant died at the hospital due to lack of medicines when the same hospital received Sh178 million for medicines during the 2007/2008 fiscal year.
Dissatisfied with Mr Kandoro's report, the Gender and Human Rights Activists' Coalition (Femact) on Tuesday called for an independent probe on maternal and under-five children deaths in public hospitals.
Meanwhile, Parliament was on Wednesday told that the quality of health services in most upcountry regions in the country left a lot to be desired.
Problems vary from place to place depending on the kind of services demanded in a particular area. In Mafia district, for example, the ambulance problem has persisted for over 22 years now, claimed the area MP, Mr Abdulkarim Shah.
According to him, there is no mortuary at the Mafia district hospital, and that many dispensaries built through self help spirit are yet to start serving the wananchi for lack health staff.
Speaking on the same issue, Mbinga West MP John Komba said: "In my constituency, we have build 13 dispensaries, but they are all idle for lack of staff and medicines."
According to Mr Komba, the Government is yet to fulfill promises made by President Jakaya Kikwete when campaigning for the presidency in 2005.
"The President had promised to promote Mbamba-Bay health centre into a designated district hospital. He also pledged to improve the status of Liuli Mission and
Mbinga district hospitals, but so far nothing has been done to this effect," he lamented.
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Ms Tatu Ntimizi (CCM - Igalula) echoed similar comments, stating: "It pains me to acknowledge that we used funds contributed by poor villagers to construct a dispensary and a house for a medic in my constituency which now lie idle."
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