Thousands of diabetic patients in the Lake Zone will soon start getting treatment at door steps, as a mobile noncommunicable diseases (NCD) clinic was launched that will increase access to the people.
The Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Hussein Mwinyi
Speaking during the launch, the Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Hussein Mwinyi said that the government was making efforts in ensuring health services were brought within easy reach of the people including communities in the rural areas.
“I am glad to join you today for the launching of the Tanzania Diabetes Association (TDA) mobile NCDs clinic because this mobile health clinic complements our government’s effort of bringing health care services closer to the rural people,” he said.
Dr Mwinyi said that there were challenges still being faced but one of the strategies of doing them away was well documented in the ongoing Primary Health Services Development Programme 2007- 2017.
He said that the plan was to have a dispensary in each village and a health centre in each, stating that the government had already managed to have over half of all the facilities required with an increasing component of increasing training of health workers.
“This mobile clinic service links primary health care with specialist’s services without moving the patient. Instead of the people visiting the higher level facilities, the mobile clinic will bring health services to where the people live,” the minister said.
Dr Mwinyi, giving the status of the disease in the country, said that about 7 per cent of the adult population had diabetes but less than a third of them were aware that they had the disease. On the case with other NCD diseases, with high blood pressure, about one third of the adult population had high blood pressure but less than 10 percent were aware of the condition and usually succumbed to stroke or heart failure, usually the blame went to witch craft.
The NCD mobile clinic is equipped with modern, high quality gadgets including a laboratory, dental facility, ophthalmology, electro cardiogram and a full foot examination.
By MASEMBE TAMBWE, Tanzania Daily News
