MUHAS boosts emergency care for AFCON 2027

DAR ES SALAAM: MUHIMBILI University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) is expanding specialist emergency medicine training and strengthening its paramedic programme as Tanzania steps up preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The move is aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to provide timely emergency care during the tournament, which is expected to attract more than 1.5 million international and regional visitors across Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

MUHAS Vice-Chancellor Appolinary Kamuhabwa made the remarks in Dar es Salaam yesterday during the launch of a specialised paediatric dental sedation unit at the university in Dar es Salaam on Monday.

It was established in collaboration with Ankara University and with support from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA). During the opening, he said MUHAS had increased enrolment in emergency medicine specialist training as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s emergency response capacity.

“We have increased enrolment in emergency medicine specialist training, while the paramedic programme will also help the country, not only during AFCON but in responding to emergencies that occur in our communities every day,” he said.

Kamuhabwa said the paramedic programme would train professionals to provide immediate and critical care at the scene of an emergency before a patient is taken to hospital. He said proper pre-hospital care was particularly important in road accidents, where poor handling of injured people could worsen their condition or lead to death.

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“Sometimes it is not the accident itself that causes death, but the way the patient is handled afterwards,” he said.

He warned that failure to follow proper emergency procedures could result in blocked airways and other life-threatening complications. He said the emergency medicine and paramedic initiatives were among the outcomes of the partnership, which has also strengthened specialised paediatric dental care, training and research.

On the newly launched dental unit, Kamuhabwa said it had already treated 27 children before its official launch. The unit enables children who cannot tolerate or cooperate during dental procedures to receive treatment under sedation.

“Some children cannot tolerate or cooperate during dental treatment. Young children, for example, may be afraid of injections or unable to remain still during procedures,” he said.

Ankara University Rector Nejdet Ünüvar said the paediatric sedation unit and cooperation in emergency medicine represented important steps in strengthening ties between the two institutions.

He described paediatric dental sedation as an important and complex field and pledged to expand academic and professional cooperation with MUHAS. TİKA Country Director Halim Söğüt said the agency had implemented more than 300 projects in Tanzania in areas including education, healthcare, water and sanitation and social development.

He said the partnership with MUHAS focused on knowledge sharing, institutional cooperation and technical support. The paramedic school at MUHAS builds on emergency response training conducted in 2024, which trained more than 50 healthcare professionals.