THE government has expressed its commitment to ensure that the country has a good number of specialists and super specialists as a strategy to improve health care in the country.
Minister for Health, Ms Ummy Mwalimu told the National Assembly yesterday that to walk the talk; the government has recently launched a training programme dubbed as Samia Super Specialization Health Programme.
The programme aimed at addressing the shortage of health specialists and super specialists, which has caused the government to incur a lot of cost in sending the patients abroad.
Under the programme, the minister said, the government will send 139 medical personnel abroad in 2022/23 financial year for further specialized training in order to address the shortage.
According to the minister, the shortage of the specialized healthcare professionals is expected to minimized in the next two years.
“Under Samia Super Specialization Health Programme we are determined to address the shortage of specialists in the country” said Ms Mwalimu.
She said the state will fully fund the specialized health personnel to study abroad.
Moreover, she said, the government is assessing the health sector workforce for proper action including relocation of the specialized and super specialized professionals who are congested in one area.
Earlier, Special Seat MP Tecla Ungele grilled the government over plans to address the shortage of specialized doctors in Lindi region.
Responding, Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Godwin Mollel, however, said there are five specialized doctors in Lindi region while seven others are currently on studies.
He said the ministry is working out to ensure that each health facility has the health experts so that the public can access health services despite their areas of origin.
