Doctors warn of chronic conditions

Dodoma. Doctors here have warned of increasing cases of diseases such as cardiac ailments, prostate cancer, eye diseases and those that affect the bones, known as osteoporosis.

According to the on-going special mobile services clinic introduced by the government in the region, there is a high prevalence of the said diseases in different parts of region, especially in rural areas.

Thge regional medical officer, Dr Charles Kiologwe, told The Citizen yesterday that antenatal mothers and newborns were also vulnerable to diverse heath complications in most rural areas in the region.

“Most patients in rural areas are grappling with several challenges at getting timely and reliable health services due to numerous factors, and thus we have decided to organise the mobile clinic in order to extend quality health services to the needy population in the region at an affordable cost, especially for those in remote,” he detailed. Dr Kiologwe added that the health initiative has managed to cater for about 8,000 people with diverse health difficulties in various areas in the region.

He added that in Mpwapwa, the clinic offered care to least 3,673 patients, whereby in Chamwino and Kongwa, the initiative served 1,711 and 2,800 patients respectively.

“Some patient used to travel a long way from their villages to the regional referral hospital in order to meet with specialists. But with this project such services are now at their doorsteps” he observed.

He said the region was now receiving many new-comers from different parts of the country due to relocation of the government administrative headquarters to designated capital city, a situation which necessities for upgrading of health facilities from basic levels in all districts.

“The clinic is scheduled to end on November, this year, by covering all districts within the region and it is our expectations that majority of people with health difficulties in the region will benefit from it before its completion,” he observed.

The on-going clinic is manned by high-profile specialized doctors from Dodoma, KCMC, Muhimbili, and Bugando hospitals.