Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Visits MSD Pavilion at Sabasaba, Calls for Stronger Collaboration with Local Innovators
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Grace Magembe, today visited the pavilion of the Medical Stores Department (MSD) at the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (Sabasaba), where she commended the efforts being made by the institution in ensuring the availability of medicines, medical equipment, and other essential health commodities in the country, while also issuing directives to strengthen collaboration with local innovators in order to add value to the health commodities supply chain.
While at the MSD pavilion, Dr. Magembe had the opportunity to tour and witness the various services provided by the institution, as well as the innovations being used to improve the country's medicine and medical supplies distribution systems. She was briefed on the achievements made in strengthening the availability of health commodities, the use of technology in supply chain management, and strategies aimed at ensuring citizens receive quality health services through the timely availability of these commodities.
In her directives, Dr. Magembe urged MSD to continue supporting the Government's agenda of promoting an industrial economy and innovation by giving local innovators the opportunity to participate in designing and developing solutions that could enhance the efficiency of the institution's services.
She emphasized that Tanzania has a large pool of talented young people with significant capacity to develop technologies and products applicable to the health sector, and therefore it is important for public institutions to identify them, build their capacity, and provide them with opportunities to collaborate in order to bring benefits to the nation.
"I will bring innovative young people to talk with them, to see if they can be given the opportunity to share their innovations with MSD," said Dr. Magembe.
She explained that this step would add value to the health commodities supply chain, stimulate the use of local technologies, strengthen the competitiveness of Tanzanian innovators, and at the same time contribute to the implementation of Government policies aimed at promoting innovation, youth employment, and the development of local industries.
Furthermore, Dr. Magembe noted that collaboration between government institutions and local innovators would help produce solutions that take into account the environment and the actual needs of citizens, while also stimulating growth in the health sector through the use of technology and knowledge generated within the country.
For its part, MSD leadership assured the Permanent Secretary that the institution would continue to implement Government directives by strengthening collaboration with various stakeholders, including local innovators, in order to improve its services and increase efficiency in the distribution of medicines, medical equipment, and other health commodities.
MSD has continued to use the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair as an important platform to showcase its achievements, educate citizens about its core responsibilities in the health commodities supply chain, and strengthen collaboration with various stakeholders in the health sector.
The 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair has brought together public and private institutions, manufacturers, innovators, and business people from within and outside the country, providing an opportunity to exchange experiences, showcase new technologies, and build partnerships that drive economic development and quality service delivery to citizens.
