There is no Ebola in Tanzania - Minister of Health Hon. Ummy Mwalimu

MAY GOD CONTINUE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF TANZANIA FROM EBOLA! AMEN!

By TOM ODULA
Associated Press

   NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Tanzania on Thursday rejected suspicions that it might have covered up cases of the deadly Ebola virus, calling it a plot to show the country "in a bad light."

   The health minister's comments came after the World Health Organization issued an unusual statement saying Tanzania refused to share information and the United States and Britain issued travel warnings. The current Ebola outbreak based in neighboring eastern Congo is now the second-deadliest in history with more than 2,000 people killed.

   Tanzanian Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said there were two suspected Ebola cases last month but the East African country determined they did not have the virus.

   "Ebola is not a disease one can hide," the minister said. "Tanzania is well aware of the dangers of hiding such an epidemic."

   Global health officials had repeatedly asked Tanzania to share the results of its investigations, but Mwalimu asserted there is no need to submit a "negative sample" for further testing.

   Countries with little or no experience testing for Ebola, especially ones such as Tanzania which have never had a confirmed Ebola case, are asked to send samples to a WHO-accredited lab to confirm the initial results, no matter whether they are positive or negative.

   Tanzania's health minister said the country will follow international protocols, including reporting to WHO, "if there is an Ebola case."

   WHO has said it was made aware on Sept. 10 of the death in Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, of a patient suspected to have Ebola. A day later, it received unofficial reports that an Ebola test had come back positive. On Thursday, it received unofficial reports that a contact of the patient, who had traveled widely in the country, was sick and hospitalized.

   The lack of information from Tanzania made it difficult to assess potential risks, WHO said.

   A rapid response is crucial in containing Ebola, which can be fatal in up to 90% of cases and is most often spread by close contact with bodily fluids of people exhibiting symptoms or with contaminated objects.

   The initial symptoms for Ebola, including fever and pain, are similar to those of other diseases such as malaria and measles, and mistakes in diagnosis and mismanagement of patients could inadvertently allow an outbreak to spread.

   Critics have shown increasing alarm as Tanzanian President John Magufuli's government has restricted access to key information and cracked down on perceived dissent. Lawmakers recently approved an amendment to a statistics law to make it a crime to distribute information not sanctioned by the government or which contradicts the government.

   ---

   Associated Press writer Maria Cheng in London contributed.

Waziri Ummy Mwalimu Atembelea Hospitali za Mkoa wa Mbeya

Waziri Ummy Mwalimu atembelea Hospitali za Mkoa wa Mbeya

Na Catherine Sungura, Mbeya

Waziri wa Afya, Ustawi wa Jamii, Jinsia, Wazee na Watoto. Mhe. Ummy Mwalimu amefanya ziara katika hospitali zilizopo Mbeya na kuzitaka hospitali zinazotumia mfumo wa ukusanyaji mapato wa kieletroniki wasibweteke na mapato wanayoyakusanya kila siku.

Rai hiyo imetolewa na aziri wa Afya, Maendeleo ya Jamii, Jinsia, Wazee na Watoto, Mh. Ummy Mwalimu wakati alipotembelea hospitali ya rufaa ya kanda ya mjini Mbeya.

Ummy alisema ukusanyaji wa mapato kwa mfumo huu unasaidia kwa kiasi kikubwa katika kuboresha huduma za afya nchini ikiwemo ununuzi wa dawa, vifaa na vifaa tiba pamoja na utoaji wa motisha kwa watumishi.

"Bado tunatambua hali ya uhaba wa upatikanaji wa dawa na vifaa tiba kuanzia ngazi zote, tukiweza kusimamia vizuri hili tutafanikiwa," alisema.

Aidha alisema wanatarajia katika serikali ya awamu hii bajeti ya dawa itaongezeka zaidi ya mara tatu kulinganisha na bajeti za nyuma, hivyo wameishauri Bohari Kuu ya Dawa (MSD) wanunue dawa toka kwa wawekezaji wa hapa nchini ambapo itakua na bei nafuu na itaongeza tija na upatikanaji wa dawa kwa haraka.

Waziri Ummy Mwalimu aliutaka Mkoa kufuatilia, kuwafichua na kuwachukulia hatua wale wote watakaojihusisha na wizi wa dawa.

"Tunao watumishi wachache wa afya ambao wanahujumu na kuiba dawa na kuzipeleka kwenye maduka ya dawa binafsi, hao hatutowafumbia macho na kuwapeleka mahakamani"

Kuhusu upungufu wa watumishi wa kada ya afya nchini, Waziri wa afya alisema, nchi ina upungufu wa asilimia 52, hivyo serikali inatarajia kuajiri watumishi takribani elfu kumi hivi karibuni ambao watatawanywa nchi nzima ikiwemo mikoa iliyo pembezoni.

Katika hospitali ya uzazi ya Meta, waziri huyo ameguswa na ufinyu wa wodi za wazazi na kupelekea mama wajawazito na waliojifungua kulala chini na wawili wawili kwenye kitanda kimoja na hivyo kuwataka kufanya haraka ujenzi wa jengo jipya litakaloondoa mrundikano wa mama wajawazito na watoto njiti.

Hospitali ya Kanda ya Rufaa Mbeya inakusanya kwa mwezi kiasi cha shilingi Milioni mia tano na pia inahudumia mikoa saba nchini na kuhudumia zaidi ya watu milioni mbili.

Waziri wa Afya, Maendeleo ya Jamii, Jinsia, Wazee na Watoto, Mhe. Ummy Mwalimu akisalimia na watumishi mara alipofika kwenye hospitali ya rufaa ya mkoa ya Mbeya.

Waziri Ummy akimsalimia mtoto Jenifer Joel (9) mkazi wa Chunya aliyelazwa hospitalini hapo.

Waziri wa afya akimjulia hali mtoto Baraka Jekonia (1) mkazi wa Chunya aliyelazwa wodi ya watoto, Waziri Ummy ameitaka hospitali hiyo kuwachaji pesa wagonjwa wote wanaofika hospitali ya rufaa moja kwa moja bila kupatiwa rufaa kutoka vituo vya afya vilivyopo jirani na wananchi ili kupunguza msongamano kwenye hospitali za rufaa nchini.

Katika hospitali ya uzazi ya Meta, Waziri Ummy Mwalimu alimsalimia Binti Kanisia Komba aliyejifungua mtoto wa kike katika hospitali hiyo mama wajawazito wote wanatibiwa kwa kadi ya bima ya afya inayodhaminiwa mpango wa kusaidia akina mama wajawazito wa KFW toka Banki ya Ujerumani.

Hospitali ya Meta tayari imetekeleza maagizo ya Waziri wa Afya, Maendeleo ya Jamii, Jinsia, Wazee na Watoto, Mhe. Ummy Mwalimu ya kutoa kipaumbele kwa wazee wote nchini wanapofika kwenye vituo vya kutolea huduma.

Waziri Ummy akiwasalimia wazazi waliolazwa kwenye moja ya wodi Hospitali ya Meta kutokana na ufinyu wa wodi inawalazimu akinamama wengine kulala chini hospitali hiyo inatarajia kuanza ujenzi wa jengo jipya ambalo litaondoa msongamano wa wazazi hospitalini hapo.

Waziri wa Afya akiwasalimia wagonjwa waliofika Hospitali ya Uzazi ya Meta kupata matibabu.