Citizens still face challenges in accessing health services: Twaweza

Dar es Salaam. Despite improvements in infrastructure and delivery systems in health services, citizens are still reporting problems in accessing health services, new Twaweza survey findings reveal.

Three out of ten citizens who accompanied someone to hospital last year found two or more patients sharing beds or mattresses, according to the findings of the survey dubbed Health check: Citizens diagnose health sector challenges.

The findings, based on data from Sauti za Wananchi, Africa’s first nationally representative high-frequency mobile phone survey, nevertheless, point out to an improvement from the last year when close to four out of ten witnessed bed or mattress sharing among patients.

The trend has been described by Twaweza as “more worrying” when it comes to accessing medicines and other supplies.

Since 2015, there has been a steady increase of citizens reporting that they encountered medicines shortages during their last visit, that is, in the previous three months, to a government health facility.

Similarly, increasing numbers of citizens are also complaining about waiting times, up from fifty three per cent in 2015 to sixty three per cent this year.

The findings further reveal that only six out of ten citizens, an equivalent to sixty one per cent seek treatment at a government health facility when injured.