Vice President Mpango wants more cardiac institutes in Tanzania

Unguja. Vice President Philip Mpango has directed Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu to liaise with health stakeholders over the possibility of establishing another cardiac institute in the country.

Dr Mpango issued the directive today, February 9, through his opening remarks of the second Heart Team Africa Cardiotan 2024 Conference taking place here, themed: Advances in Cardiovascular Care in Africa.

“I have noted the request from JKCI requesting support for the construction of another JKCI facility in order to enhance accessibility of cardiac services in the country,” he said.

“I commend the initiative, and I would like to assure the institute’s administration that the government will avail itself of all the necessary support,” said Dr Mpango.

The vice president said the two-day conference, which brought together over 300 experts from nearly 40 countries, should demonstrate strong international interest and commitment for advancing cardiovascular care.

He expressed his hope that experts would conduct fruitful discussions and forge collaboration that would benefit cardiovascular patients in Tanzania and beyond.

“I want to use this podium to assure you that the government will scale up investments in the provision of cardiovascular services and pioneering initiatives, innovations, collaboration, research, training, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases,” he added.

In her response, Ms Mwalimu said an area has been set aside in Zanzibar for that purpose, noting that another area was located in the country’s commercial city of Dar es Salaam.

She said it is important for people to pay attention to preventative measures against cardiovascular diseases caused by investing in lifestyle changes ranging from healthy feeding, exercising, and avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol.

The fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) starts at the grassroots level where people should learn and accept best practices given by health experts.

Ms Mwalimu thanked JKCI for its steady progress and far-reaching impact on healthcare, education, research, innovation and collaboration.

“Since its inception, JKCI has transformed itself to become a dependable centre, touching thousands of lives locally and now turning to become the region’s most preferred destination for cardiac interventions,” she said.

The JKCI managing director, Dr Peter Kisenge said that there was an increasing demand for cardiac services in Tanzania as well as neighbouring countries who have been visiting the facility for heart treatments.

He said JKCI was planning to open a cardiovascular centre in Zanzibar to cut down on referrals coming from the Island, noting that the facility was currently overwhelmed with limited space.

“Many centres like JKCI are needed in Tanzania as we are focusing the facility to become a centre of excellence on the continent. We are looking at how the government can support us with the construction of a bigger heart facility,” he said.

Dr Kisenge said the conference will allow experts to exchange their experiences as well as giving an opportunity for Africans to know the institute, hence reducing treatment costs.