Govt commits itself to ambulance purchase

 

THE government yesterday expressed commitment to collaborate with councils to ensure that the purchase of ambulances are the top priority in the 2017/18 budgets to improve public health.

The commitment was given here by the Deputy Minister of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Mr Selemani Jafo as majority Members of Parliament pressed for their constituencies to have the ambulances. 

 

He said the government is pushing for more revenue collection to facilitate provision of health and social needs, with purchase of ambulances being among the critical issues.

“But, for the government to be in a position to allocate funds to buy the ambulances, the district and municipal councils have to include them in their 2017/18 budgets as priority areas,” said Mr Jafo.

He was responding to Joyce Sokombi (Special Seats-Chadema) who sought to know when will the government improve health services at Mara Referral hospital, citing lack of ambulances as a chronic challenge.

Reacting, the Deputy Minister said the hospital has two ambulances which are out of services but one with registration number STK 7079 is undergoing maintenance through TEMESA in Mwanza before it can start offering services to the Referral Hospital.

He said the government will improve health services by providing the hospital with health equipment including construction of postnatal ward and increasing 20 new beds to meet the 420-bed demand.

Mr Jafo said the government remains firm on improved revenue collection through electronic means to boost health services in the country.