Hospital to improve services as oxygen plant nears completion

KAGERA: THE Bukoba Regional Referral Hospital (BRRH) is set to dramatically enhance its service delivery as its oxygen production plant reaches 95 per cent completion.

According to the hospital’s Medical In-Charge, Dr Museleta Nyakiroto, the plant is expected to be operational by August this year, a development that will save many lives and reduce the need for patients to travel long distances to Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza or Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam.

“The completion of this project marks a major milestone. It will enable many patients, especially children and those in critical condition, to access oxygen locally, saving lives,” said Dr Nyakiroto.

The government recently allocated 560m/- for the construction of a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 770m/- for the procurement of specialised medical equipment at the facility.

Dr Nyakiroto hailed President Samia Suluhu Hassan for allocating substantial resources to improve healthcare in the region, noting that the availability of advanced medical equipment and medicines had already made a positive impact.

He highlighted that several key achievements have been realised, including the introduction of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for premature babies.

Before the construction of the Neonatal Intensive Unit (NIU), around 480 premature babies were admitted each year. This figure has now increased to 779, with the capacity to admit premature babies rising from 167 to 237 annually.

Furthermore, neonatal mortality has dropped dramatically from 30 per cent annually to just 5 per cent by December 30, 2024.

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Dr Nyakiroto also praised government plans to establish a specialised hospital for disease outbreaks and a central diagnostic centre in the region, citing Kagera’s proximity to neighbouring countries with a history of frequent disease outbreaks as a motivating factor.

In a related development, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently donated equipment worth 112.9m/- to strengthen the region’s capacity to manage disease outbreaks, particularly Marburg Virus Disease.

The donation to the Biharamulo Isolation Centre includes 20 patient monitors, 20 patient beds and mattresses, five washing machines and 86 buckets with stands.

Kagera Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) Steven Ndaki thanked the WHO for its support, saying the donation would greatly enhance healthcare provision in the region.

Dr Garbert Fedjo, WHO’s Coordinator for Health Services in Tanzania, commended the country for its swift response to the Marburg outbreak, which enabled it to bring the disease under control in just 54 days compared to 69 days recorded in 2023.