10 years of KOFIH: Unwavering support to Muhimbili National Hospital Mloganzila

Medical equipment handover ceremony at Muhimbili National Hospital-Mloganzila. From the left: KOFIH Ms Hayoung Kim, Mr Kyoung kyun Oh, Ambassador Sun-pyo Kim, from MNHM Prof Mohamed Janabi, and Dr Faraja Chiwanga.

Korea Foundation for Interna­tional Healthcare (KOFIH) is a pub­lic organization affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea. As a leading organization specialized in glob­al health and healthcare support, KOFIH provides government-level bilateral aid for partner countries, including Tanzania.

Among the ongoing projects, it conducts the “Hospital Operation and Management Consulting for the Muhimbili National Hospital Mloganzila”, with the objective of strengthening hospital operation and management independence through capacity-building approach­es. The project has been running for 10 years since 2013.

One specific area of the project is medical expertise and medical management system reinforcement. On Wednesday March 22nd, 2023, Muhimbili National Hospital-Mlo­ganzila received a donation of med­ical equipment worth USD 256, 223 equivalent to Sh 594,921,621 from the Government of the Republic of Korea via KOFIH to contribute to the healthcare system in Tanzania and make an undoubtedly positive impact on the lives of many patients.

The donated medical equipment includes a wide range of medical sup­plies such as an EO Gas sterilizer, ventilator for neonatal and adults, digital detector, infant warmer, nebulizer, neonatal ambubag laryn­goscope, scrub stations, vital sign monitors, CPAP Masks, digital oscil­loscope, oxygen analyzer and blood warmer which were designated for maternal, neonatal and child health.

The Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital Prof. Mohamed Janabi says that, “ Muhimbili National Hospital Mlo­ganzila has now become the safest place for mothers to give birth than any other place in the country due to the improvement of the maternal and neonatal department with the presence of high-tech medical equip­ment donated by KOFIH,” he adds that some of these modern medical equipment have never been used in any hospital in Tanzania or East Afri­ca, and for the first time, they will be used at Muhimbili National Hospi­tal-Mloganzila. In fact, the EO Gas sterilizer is a state-of-the-art steriliz­er in Tanzania which has never been used before. This device maximiz­es the effectiveness of sterilization when it comes to materials that are less endurable, such as rubber and plastic.

The handover ceremony of the medical equipment was graced by the participation of H. E. Dr. Sun-pyo Kim, the Ambassador of the Repub­lic of Korea to the United Republic of Tanzania. He said that this donation is a part of the Korean commitment to improving healthcare and the strong partnership and friendship between the two countries. He said KOFIH, on behalf of the Republic of Korea, will keep cooperating and supporting the Hospital in various areas to ensure that it provides best hospital services in Tanzania.