PRESIDENT Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has closed the Mvomero office to the government to hand over medicines and medical equipment worth more than 1.61 billion shs.

This was said yesterday by Mvomero District Commissioner Judithi Nguli when the Medical Supply Department (MSD) handed over medicines and medical equipment worth more than 1.61 billion shs. to health centers and hospitals in the district.

He said, the move by President Dr. Samia to Mvomero is a closure of the office as it has never happened before and he has shown patriotism and practical action in ending the problem of lack of medicines and medical equipment in public and private hospitals.

“We would like to thank the Honorable President for relieving us of the burden of questions from his aides, we want Tanzanians to know that they are very happy with Mvomero, this is a big thing and has also made our work easier and has earned us respect from the people,” he said.

Judithi said, the district, whose geography everyone recognizes first of all, is strategic and is also a district surrounded by many important economic areas.

“The number of citizens who need services and needs is very large, we were eagerly waiting for these equipment. He once said that the cry for medicine is stagnant, now he has fulfilled his promise by listening to the cry of the citizens and acting through MSD,” he said.

He urged the council and hospital executives in general to adhere to work ethics and not let the President down by serving the citizens properly.

The District Commissioner used the opportunity to encourage the care of the medical equipment provided as the health improvements being made are important for economic development.

He said MSD's move to provide such medicines and medical equipment on loan has left a mark on the district, as the Mvomero areas, from Gairo, have no other district hospital.

He explained that nearby areas including Dumila and Tuliani depend on these services in Mvomero and there are industries including Mkulazi located in Kilosa, Nguruira and Mtibwa where when challenges arise, its employees are treated at the hospital.

“In addition to the industries, there are three prisons and many citizens who come for agriculture where there are large irrigated fields while also when an accident occurs on the main road connecting Mvomero to other regions, there is no service in the morgue so the arrival of modern morgue refrigerators in the three Mvomero hospitals including the district hospital is very important,” he said.

And Mvomero MP Jonas Zeeland said, the citizens of Mvomero are deeply indebted to President Dr. Samia this year as the arrival of medicines and medical equipment worth more than 1 billion shillings will help solve the challenges of the district.

He said for a long time there were health center buildings built by the citizens and those built by the government but there were no services due to lack of medical equipment.

"The arrival of these devices will be distributed to all areas, especially rural areas, and after a short time, they will start working and citizens will be able to receive services, while the refrigerators brought for storing dead bodies are also important due to our geography where we have been receiving many injuries and deaths from accidents where dead bodies were being taken to the region," he said.

Zeeland stressed that the refrigerators will be provided in various areas and other medical equipment and medicines will be distributed to new health centers whose construction is ongoing, including the Mlali, Dakawa and Mziha centers.

He said that the major changes made by the government of President Dr. Samia in the drug depot have begun to bear fruit, so they congratulate the Director General of MSD Mavere Tukai for accepting the changes and working on them in the interests of the citizens.

For his part, the Manager of MSD Dar es Salaam Zone, Betie Kaema, said that apart from the medicines and medical equipment, Mvomero and other areas should expect greater things from the improvements in the health sector that are being made by the Ministry.

"Under President Dr. Samia, we can expect even greater things. The current strategic plan is to see that medicines and medical equipment are sufficient and that there are reserves in our hospitals and service centers. We have now started bringing health equipment six times a year while other improvements are ongoing," he said.

And the District Chief Medical Officer Dr. Philipina Philipo promised to go and supervise service providers properly, especially for services that had never been provided since Independence, including morgues, surgeries in some areas and specialist services in maternal and child health.