Over 1,500 Kagera residents receive free treatment from US specialists

BUKOBA: MORE than 1,500 residents of Kagera Region have received free medical care from a US-based team of specialists during a four-day medical camp held at Maruku Health Centre, an initiative that has saved many lives, including children.

One of the beneficiaries, Ms Devotha Kaigwa (45), from Kanyangereko Ward in Bukoba Rural District, expressed her heartfelt gratitude after undergoing a successful surgery performed by the visiting medical team.

Ms Kaigwa had been bedridden since June 29th last year after suffering a severe femur fracture in a road accident. The condition worsened due to infection and improper healing.

The US medical team treated her by inserting an intramedullary nail in her right leg, enabling her to walk again.

“On behalf of other Kagera residents, I thank the US-based specialist team for offering advanced medical services free of charge. This initiative has truly saved lives. Strengthening healthcare services at all levels is crucial,” she said.

The outreach was coordinated by AHEAD Inc (USA), founded by Dr Winnie Mpanju, which recently donated medical equipment worth 86m/- to Maruku Health Centre.

The donation included 2,000 protective face shields, 31,200 boxes of gloves, and 2,400 surgical gowns.

Dr Mpanju said the funding came from Friends of AHEAD Inc and individual donors in the US, who quickly responded after learning that Tanzania was battling the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), which claimed the life of a nurse in the region.

“AHEAD Inc (USA) stands side by side with our partners in Kagera as we continue our commitment to improving healthcare and education in Tanzania,” said Dr Mpanju.

The medical camp was supported by 27 volunteers from the US, including nurses from the New York State Nurses’ Association (NYSNA), physicians, and dentists who offered medical consultations, surgeries, and dental care.

In collaboration with its Tanzanian chapter, AHEAD Inc Tanzania, the organisation also donated medical equipment worth 214.4m/-.

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Items included a sonogram machine with printer, a universal anesthesia machine, an ultrasound device, a blood bank refrigerator, pharmaceutical storage freezers, folding screens with curtains, and blood grouping reagent kits.

Receiving the donation, Bukoba District Commissioner Mr Erasto Sima thanked AHEAD Inc and the Tanzanian diaspora for their continued support of government efforts in health and education.

“We are deeply grateful for this timely intervention. Your support significantly strengthens service delivery and complements our development agenda,” he said.

Bukoba District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr Bandioti Gaviole commended AHEAD Inc for funding the construction of a surgical theatre at Maruku Health Centre, calling it a milestone for the district.

He urged residents to safeguard the infrastructure for future generations.

Maruku Ward Councillor Mr George Magezi said the facility has transformed healthcare access for residents, who previously had to walk 25 kilometres to reach Bukoba Regional Referral Hospital (BRRH).

“Many children and pregnant women died on the way to the referral hospital. This centre is a lifeline,” he said.

Maruku Ward includes four villages of Bwizanduru, Butailuka, Maruku, and Kyanshozi and also serves neighboring villages such as Bulinda (5 km), Buguruka (7 km), and Butahyaibega (4 km), reaching a combined population of around 250,000.

Improved healthcare is essential to national development, as a healthy population is more productive and contributes significantly to economic growth.

Strengthening public health systems at the grassroots is vital for both curative and preventive services.

However, rural women in particular continue to face significant challenges, including poverty fueled by outdated cultural practices and marginalisation.

While they play a central role in agriculture and rural enterprise, structural support remains inadequate to break the cycle of poverty, despite their critical contributions to both local and global economies.