Owing to acute shortage of medical experts in the country, nurses are forced to perform over 80 per cent of the work that should be carried out by the experts, the Tanzania National Nurses Association (TANNA) has revealed.
TANNA President, Mr Paul Magesa
Addressing reporters in Dar es Salaam ahead of the International Nurses Day to be marked between 10 and 12 May, this year, TANNA President, Mr Paul Magesa said the challenge was hampering Tanzania’s efforts to attain millennium goals.
Mr Magesa said that despite various challenges facing nurses in the country, they have been discharging their responsibilities with integrity while observing professionalism.
He cited some of the main challenges which nurses encounter in their daily activities as heavy workload and poor medical facilities. He said they work above international standards, adding that currently a nurse in the country serves up to 40 patients per day. “Nurses often perform duties which they are not supposed to perform. This is likely to pose a big problem in the sector because a patient misses the service of an expert,” he said.
This year’s national celebrations will be held in Rukwa Region. Mr Magesa noted that the celebrations would also involve the provision of free medical services to Rukwa residents. “Our goals are preventing maternal mortality, checking child mortality and preventing HIV/Aids transmission from mother to child,” he noted.
He hailed the US government for collaborating with the Tanzanian government in addressing various health issues through the PEPFAR fund. This year’s celebrations, according to Mr Magesa, will be graced by the Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Hussein Mwinyi.
By FATMA ABDU, Tanzania Daily News
