Mpango kabambe wa tiba na afya uko mbioni kutekelezwa ziwani Taganyika. Madaktari wa kujitolea kutoka Marekani na wenyeji wao wanatarajia kuanzisha zahanati ya aina yake itakayotoa huduma ya afya kwa vijiji vilivyomo ufukweni mwa ziwa Tanganyika.
Wakitumia meli kama zahanati, wameona ni vyema kutumia njia hii ili kusaidia kupunguza tatizo la uhaba wa ushauri wa kitaalam, tiba madhubuti, madawa, na kinga kwa wakazi wa vijiji hivyo. Huduma hii mbadala itawaleta wataalam kwa wanakijiji, na hivyo kuondoa adha ya wananchi kusafiri mwendo wa umbali mrefu kupata huduma ya tiba.
Timu ya wataalam hao wakiongozwa na Dr. Amy Lehman wamechukua changamoto, watakuwa wanatia nanga katika kila kijiji ufukweni mwa ziwa na kukaa kwa wiki 1-2 wakitoa huduma mbalimbali muhimu za afya ikiwemo huduma za upasuaji. Kuna documentary inatengenezwa itakayoitwa Lake Tanganyika: Floating Health Clinic inayosimulia mradi huu mzima. Filamu hiyo inaandaliwa na washindi wa Academy Awards Fisher Stevens na Mark Monroe, itazame hapa chini.
Ukitaka kufahamu zaidi, tembelea tovuti yao: www.floatingclinic.org
Asante kwa kuweka video hii, sikuwa nimeiona. Matatizo katika nchi yetu ni makubwa, lakini hili la afya ni kubwa zaidi na linaathiri zaidi kwa kuwa linamgusa mwananchi moja kwa moja, it’s a matter of ‘live’ or ‘die’ now, uhai haukopeshwi.
It was interesting for me to watch this video as I am not from Dar and seeing this was a good way to educate myself on the issues that are being faced. What intrigued me however, was that Dr.Lehman was speaking of the infrastructure and the lack of proper roads or lack of roads altogether and how this affects access to resources and proper care. In the case of the child who had Hydrocephalus the initial issue was that they were far away and did not have access to proper health care. When Dr.Lehman arrived she took care of the child by providing antibiotics and transportation. When the child was placed in the national hospital he was not given the proper assessments and died shortly after. My question then is, what should be the main focus, creating roads and making sure that resources are accessible and available to everyone ? or should the implementation begin at proper training in the hospitals ? Obviously both are important, I guess my question is which one do you think needs more attention or should come first ?
Both!
AM both of your suggestions should be prioritized. What was shocking is that such incompetence by the hospital staff was experienced in Dar es Salaam – the place where one would expect higher standards of medical care in the whole country!
I am not sure what exactly ensued so I cannot outright bash the medical staff, but such unprofessionalism and lack of accountability affects several sectors in TZ as well. So a lot of effort should go through apt training of medical staff on matters of ethics and accountability.
It is also important the public educated about their rights. One should be able to sue the medical staff or the institution when avoidable cases of death or infection are contracted in the hospital due to the negligence of medical staff. I guess when we hear cases of hospitals being sued due to their improper handling of their duties it is then we shall experience a higher level of professionalism in such workplaces.
Dear AM that is the effect of corruption it is really killing us, but what comes first all should come first. The health attendants at the national hospital are well trained and they knew the problem of the child but because the mother didn’t have money to bribe for the service so they paid no attention to her child very sad! That is what is happening in a peaceful country like Tanzania and people are dying peaceful in hospitals. No need changes. For the case of the poor infrastructure is just because of poor allocation of the public fund how comes the governor house cost 5billions and say we don’t have fund for infrastructure. Do you know how much the MP and ministers are being paid in terms of salary and allowances!!
I asked this question because I did some work abroad in Nicaragua and we seem to have faced very similar issues. We had hospitals and workers but people were still being neglected, people who traveled hours and hours just to get to this hospital were turned away. I think that even if you build roads and make sure that we have proper infrastructure it doesn’t matter if you cannot provide proper assistance. Why travel hours to a hospital just to be told you wont be receiving any services and even if you will, they may not cover the basic necessities.
So in my opinion, if one had to invest money it should first take place in training health care workers and ensuring that they provide adequate services. I know this is easier said then done but I think this might be a step in the right direction ?. I know that Infrastructure is also important but again what good will this do if one is neglected at a national hospital. Right ? any thoughts ?
In the end the fact that we see this inefficiency boils down to incentives I may say. Medical workers in Tanzania are paid peanuts, and their working conditions are frustrating especially in those far-to-reach areas.
These workers are not volunteers!
Yes, they took an oath, but still to ensure the majority of these workers perform at their best we need to supply them with better incentives. Apart from monetary incentives, an increase in the number of staff-helpers would assist in alleviating the work-load faced by our under-staffed village hospitals. The helpers need to be properly trained on care and its ethics.
There also need to be a functional system which evaluates the performance of the medical-staff. Those who underperform should know consequences, whereas appropriate bonuses be given to those who put-in extra-hours, or go beyond the confines of their immediate duties just so that they ensure quality medical care.
Yani hii ni hali ambayo haivumiliki. Si kwamba ni kwa sekta ya afya pekee na sekta nyinginezo nyingi sana, wala nisingependa kuzitaja chamuimu ni kuanzia hapo matatizo yalipo na kuyatatua bila kuanza kuuliza nani yuko wapi na nani kafanya nini. Cha msingi ni kuwawajibisha wote wasiofanya kazi zao kwa kuzipenda na kwa umakini. Cha mwisho tufanye kazi kwa bidii,kujitolea na tuipende nchi yetu na watu wake.
@ Mathew
Ukimaliza utafiti wako wa shahada ya uzamili, tutumie hata abstract. Natanguliza shukrani.
Tuiweke kwa Kiswahili ili hata wa Kigoma wakitaka kusoma basi waelewe kwa urahisi zaidi.
Kwanza: Nimeikubali video hii kwamab ina ukweli ndani yake kwasababu kwa Tanzania yetu tumezoea kudanganywa mpaka tumekuwa wadanganyika.
Pili: nimeona mambo kadhaa hapa ambayo kwangu mie kama Mtanzania sio ya ajabu ila nina uhakika yanaweza kuwashangaza wengi sana duniani hasa wa aina ya kina Dr Lehman.
AM umeuliza swali zuri sana kipi kianze kwanza kwa mtazamo wa kumaliza tatizo mie ningeweza kusema vyote kwa pamoja vifanyike… Lakini kwa kutafuta suluhisho la kudumu inabidi tujue hasa tatizo hili na mengine meengi ya aina hii nchini mwetu yasababishwa na nini; yaani mzizi wa matatizo yetu… Ni kweli kuna mambo mengi sana yanahusika na rushwa ikiwepo ndani..mie nayaona kama hivi:
1. Kipaumbele cha Serikali au nchi yetu hatujakijua kabisa. Ni kweli kabisa eneo kama hili utakuta kuna ofisi ‘nzuri’ (kwa mtazamo wa ki-TZ) za TRA, DC, etc ambazo zimejengwa na serikali au nchi hiyo hiyo. sSsa tujiulize siku zote nini kifanyike kwanza? Mimi najua maisha ya binadamu hayana mbadala!
2. Kama waliofunzwa vizuri bado hawataki kuwajibika katika kazi zao, hasa manesi ni kawaida kabisa kwao..hili linatokana na mambo mengi sana!! Kipato kikiwepo pia na tabia binafsi ya kutokuwajibika tu ambayo ni tabia tuliyoizoea TZ. Lakini Serikali yaweza kusahihisha hili, ila halina kipaumbele pia..hakuna wakumwajibisha mwenzie!!
3. Binadamu wa kawaida akishafikia hatua hii ya matatizo tunakata tamaa na kuona hakuna tena la kufanya ila kusubiri tu liwalo na liwe, kama alivyosema Lehman. Lakin ni sahihi? Mie naona siyo. Ila yataka moyo na ujasiri binafsi ambao wote twaweza kuwa nao!
4. Kigoma ni mbali kusema kweli lakini bado ni TZ na nchi ni ile ile, ina maana tukiipa kipaumbele maeneo yaliyokama haya tunaweza kuweka ahueni kabisa…sasa tunarudi palepale.. Kipaumbele cha TZ kiko wapi? Magari na helikopta za kampeni, magari na nyumba nzuri kwa waheshimiwa, kujenga ,ofisi nzuri za TRA, NSSF,PPF,BOT, wakati Kigoma hakuna hata dispensary na wa-TZ wafa? Kuna mengi sana ya kujiuliza..na tunahitaji majibu.
5. Majibu tunayo wenyewe, ni suala la kuamua nini cha kufanya. Ingawa twahitaji mwongozo hapo; na hapo ndo tatizo lilipo. Huko Kigoma kuna wabunge pia ambao huchukua kura za hao wanateseka wakihisi ndo tegemeo pekee lililobakia, wakifika huko kwa uheshimiwa basi wamesahau kila kitu. Watu wanazidi kukata tamaa…
Maoni yangu [ni] tutafute pa kuanzia, huku tunakoelekea siko, turudi nyuma tuanze njia nyingine. Nimependa sana njia anayotumia Dr kiongozi alizeko Kigoma lakini alisoma na Dr. Lehman Marekani. Tukiwa wengi wa aina hiyo kwa fani mbalimbali huko kijijini, sio Dar, twaweza kupata muafaka kwa “bottom-up approach,” badala ya
“top-down approach” tunayong’ang’ania sasa hivi.
MMK, bahati mbaya sisi sio watengenezaji wa hizi filamu. Ila nakuelewa; kama mimi ningekuwa nina haki za hiyo kazi, ningeweka subtitles.
Visa kama hivi viko kila sehemu. Tujiulize mikoa ya kusini ikoje… Nadhani nitamtumia hii post Zitto.
Pia, ningependa kuwaambia kuwa tunajitahidi kupost filamu kama hizi nyingi tu ili kufumbuana macho. Wanaotaka kuangalia nyingine wanaweza kutumia tag ya “documentary” (ipo kulia) au link ifuatayo:
http://vijana.fm/tag/documentary/
Kuna filamu (documentaries) kutoka sehemu nyingine mbalimbali Tanzania na baadhi kutoka Kenya na Uganda. Ila hizi (hapo chini) zimekuwa zikigusa mioyo ya watu wengi sana. Kwahiyo, mkipata muda ziangalieni (bofya):
1. Mimba***
2. Uwanja wa Fisi***
3. Mgongowazi***
4. Slum survivors***
5. Mashambulizi ya wageni Afrika Kusini
6. Safari ya mitumba***
7. Malindi
8. Love in the time of AIDS***
9. Madawa ya kulevya – Mombasa
Msisite kutuambia tuzisogeze mbele (kama mkitaka zijadiliwe tena).
Jamani matatizo ya huduma nyingi za jamii ni makubwa na kutatuliwa inahitaji nguvu nyingi, akili na umoja. Mimi kwa mtazamo wangu kama mwananchi, mwanamaendeleo na mwanaafya ya jamii; sisi tunaotoa maoni hapa kwenye huu mtandao ndio tutakaoleta mabadiliko iwapo tutachangamka na kutafuta mikakati ya kuchanganua matatizo haya.
Nakubaliana na maoni yenu wote. Afya, elimu, kilimo na miundo mbinu ni vitu vinavyoturudisha nyuma mmmnnooooooooo! Nikiangalia afya kuna matatizo mengi na tunaweza kusema ni sababu madaktari hawalipwi au hawapewi marupurupu! Nadhani kuna tatizo kuu la msingi ambalo wanauchumi wanasema usimamizi (stewardship) toka serikalini hususan wizara ya afya. Kazi kubwa kama inavyofafanuliwa na Shirika la Afya Duniani ni:
– Kusimamia (Stewardship/oversight)
– Kuweka rasilimali / uwekezaji na mafunzo (creating resources – investment & amp; training)
– fedha (kukusanya, kushiriki, ugawaji wa mapato na ununuzi) – financing (collecting, pooling and purchasing)
– utoaji wa huduma za afya
Kama wote mlivyokwisha kugusia sekta zote naona TZ zimekosa huo usimamizi. Ukosefu wa usimamizi katika sekta ya afya na sekta nyingine unasababisha ukosefu wa uchambuzi wa masuala ambao unaathiri mgawanyo wa raslimali, ununuzi wa huduma, matatizo mengi ya msingi yakiwemo ya vitendea kazi, mfumo wa kutathmini utendaji kazi (tuzo na motisha kwa wfanya kazi). Wizara kubwa kama ya afya inahitaji kiongozi mwenye upeo kifikira na sio kielimu tu na mzawa anayeipenda nchi yake.
Mimi kwa mtazamo wangu na kama waliivyokwisha zungumza wenzangu hapo juu sidhani kama serikali ya TZ inashindwa kujifadhili (finance) yenyewe. Ukusanyaji wa kodi ya mapato nao hauendi vizuri sababu ya rushwa iliyokithiri. Ukiangalia kutokana na rasilimali zilizopo TZ na kama ukusanyaji wa mapato ungellikuwa unafuatwa tusinge hitaji hata misaada katika bajeti ya serikali.
Kwa mfano tuna vivutio vingi vya watalii na mahoteli mengi ya kitalii yanayo-charge hela nyingi na kulipa kodi kidogo, tuna mbuga nyingi za wanyama ambazo zinaendeshwa na wageni ambao hawalipi kodi, uchimbaji madini ni mwingi kodi hazilipwi tunaachiwa mashimo tuu hata barabara hazitengenezwi, bandari tuliyonayo ni kubwa ya kimataifa lakini wafanya biashara wakigeni wanakwepa kodi na mapato yanapungua pia wamesababisha rushwa imekithiri na hali ya bandari imekuwa ngumu kiasi kwamba hata waTZ wanaingiza vitu toka Mombasa (aibu kubwa).
Serikali ikikusanya mapato toka hata nusu ya hizo nyanja hapo juu wataweza kulipia huduma za jamii haswa afya hata kutafuta mikakati wa maeneo ya mbali (attractive package, ongezo la mishahara).
Nadhani sisi tunaozungumza hapa kila mmoja wetu kama anaipenda nchi yake na kuwajibika kwa moyo mmoja tunaweza kuibadilisha nchi. Maana ukizungumza na watu wengi kila mmoja anasema anafikiria maslahi yake tu wameishakufa moyo.
Tupeane moyo jamani wa kuipenda na kuijenga nchi yetu. Tunaweza hata kujadili jinsi gani tutachanganua matatizo na kufanya watu waipende nchi yao (hasa waliosoma) hata ka-kampaigne cha kuipromote TZ. Pia, kama tukijumuika na kuanzisha mfano mradi wa maji vijijini (kukusanya hata shilingi 1,000 -5,000 na kusaidia miradi ya maji kijiji fulani na baadae changamoto hiyo ikaendelea kwenye vijiji vingine). Nasema maji maana maji yanaathiri sana afya na ukiwa na maji safi kupunguza magonjwa yakuambukiza ni rahisi sana.