Burden to Regional hospital as districts lack health facilities
What you need to know:
- Lack of district hospitals has subjected residents to high costs of treatment
Arusha. Four districts in Arusha Region have no district hospitals subjecting its citizens to high cost of treatment in private facilities.
The shortage is also behind ‘flooding of patients’ at the public owned Mount Meru referral hospital located in Arusha Municipal.
Only two districts in Arusha region, Arumeru and Monduli, have district hospitals while Karatu, Ngorongoro, Longido and Arusha depends on private health facilities.
Speaking to The Citizen on different occasions, some residents noted that absence of the hospitals increased costs of treatment.
“Right now, the charges are so high at some of the religious health institutions despite being subsidised by the government. So it’s important to have the public owned hospitals here,” said Mr Julius Mlela.
His views were complemented by Mr Fanuel Shirima who insisted that congestion at Mount Meru hospital would only be reduced if the districts are provided with reliable health facilities.
“It has reached a point that two patients are forced to share a bed at Mount Meru hospital,” he said.
Speaking on the shortage, Arusha Regional Commissioner, Mr Mrisho Gambo, said they are in a process of building hospitals in all districts as well as expanding the mount Meru hospital.
He said the government has set aside Sh1 billion for construction of Arusha District hospital, in a grand plan to relieve the regional hospital.
“The same will be done in other districts in the region purposely to bring services closer to the people,” he said.
The RC added that he has already laid the foundation stone for the construction of modern heath facility at Mureti ward and another one will be built in Moshono ward, in the city.
Mr Gambo went on to insist that his leadership has aimed to address major challenges on health, education and water sector.
