Magazini Health Center in Magazini Ward, Namtumbo District Council, Ruvuma Region has received assistance with modern surgical equipment, including for pregnant women, worth more than Shs. 100 million to help improve health services in the ward, which borders Mozambique.

Describing the operation of the medical equipment, the Manager of the Medical Depot (MSD) in the Iringa region, Robert Lugembe, said that the equipment will help many people, some of whom are currently suffering from diseases that require surgery, including pregnant women.

Lugembe said that the government will bring in other modern medical equipment worth more than Shs. 100 million and that MSD will continue to provide sufficient medical equipment until the center is fully equipped to continue its work.

"I was looking here and said that in this ongoing government allocation there is no Generator, but here Generator is really needed, so MSD will bring a Generator that will help in surgical activities." Said the Iringa Rugembe Zone Manager.

He mentioned the equipment as including a special bed for surgery (operating table), a lamp that provides light while the surgical exercise is in progress (Operating light), diagnostic equipment, a cleaning machine, a washing machine, dish dryers, as well as sufficient surgical equipment, all worth more than 100 million shillings.

Initially receiving the aid, the Chief Physician of the Magazini Health Center, Dr. Rashid Athuman, said that since it started operating, the center has never provided surgical services but now he has claimed that the medical equipment will help use the most modern technology that will make the patient return to health faster.

Dr. Athuman said that the Magazini Health Center has goals and strategies to ensure that it provides quality services that low-income citizens can access and afford and not otherwise.

"We express our gratitude to the government of the Republic of Tanzania for the cooperation given to us by MSD. We request that this cooperation continue to be maintained with the view that our goal is one, and our responsibility is one to serve the citizens especially those who are on the border with the neighboring country of Mozambique" said Dr. Athuman.

Initially reading a brief statement of the Health Center, Magazini Ward Executive Mussa Ponera said that the center began construction in 2019/2020 where they received funds from the central government amounting to 500 million shillings and that so far they need 120 million shillings to complete the infrastructure of toilets, laboratories, a surgical building and a mother and child building.

For his part, the Member of Parliament for Namtumbo Constituency, Hon. Vita Kawawa, has thanked the government of the United Republic of Tanzania for its goal and strategies to ensure that it provides quality services that low-income citizens can access and afford.

He said that the government's exercise in distributing modern medical equipment from MSD will continue to be carried out to achieve the goal of providing better services to patients and to eliminate the large number of patients traveling long distances to be treated due to the lack of some equipment at health centers in Namtumbo Constituency.

For his part, the Magazini Ward Councilor Grace Kapinga said that the support of surgical equipment will make it easier for citizens to walk 202 kilometers to seek surgical services at the Songea Regional Hospital (HOMSO), a fact that many pregnant mothers have lost their lives due to the lack of such surgical services.

For their part, the residents of the ward, Amina Ally and Awetu Kassim, have congratulated and thanked the government for bringing them medical equipment as they were experiencing difficulties, especially due to the lack of surgical equipment at the health center.

They said that in addition to the delivery of the equipment, they have requested the government to provide electricity services where poles and cables have already been installed and are yet to be installed in the buildings so that the equipment can be used as intended, as it will not be useful if the equipment has been brought but is not used due to the lack of electricity.