Mazrui insists on professionalism in managing Zanzibar’s healthcare service

ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR’S Minister for Health, Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, has urged ministry leaders and officials to strengthen collaboration and accountability in carrying out their duties to achieve the government’s goals of improving healthcare services across the country.

Mazrui made the call during a working session with Ministry of Health leaders, which included presentations on progress made by various departments and units. The meeting aimed to give officials a clearer understanding of the ministry’s performance and priorities to improve efficiency in implementing its programmes.

He said the government had invested heavily in the health sector, stressing that the next priority was to ensure the investments translated into tangible benefits for citizens, particularly through access to quality, appropriate and timely healthcare services.

The minister warned that he would not tolerate negligence or any conduct that undermines the performance of the health sector and compromises service delivery. He urged officials to discharge their responsibilities professionally, with integrity and in the best interests of the public.

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Mazrui also called on all officials to prioritise efforts to reduce maternal and child deaths, describing the issue as a key government priority that requires close cooperation and decisive action to achieve a significant reduction in fatalities.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Health Hassan Khamis Hafidh urged ministry officials to abandon routine approaches to their work and instead embrace innovation, accountability and faster implementation of their responsibilities to match the level of government investment in the health sector.

He said many of the challenges that previously affected the sector had been addressed, leaving no justification for officials to continue working in the same way as before. He called on them to intensify efforts to resolve the remaining challenges and further improve healthcare services.

The meeting forms part of efforts to familiarise ministry leaders with the progress, challenges and priorities of the Ministry of Health, with a strong emphasis on strengthening accountability among officials and improving healthcare delivery for the people of Zanzibar.