PCCB donates medical devices to boost child health in Singida
Singida: The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) has handed over an infant radiant warmer and a phototherapy unit to Singida Regional Referral Hospital in a bid to support the government’s efforts to strengthen maternal and child health and improve the well-being of Tanzanians.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Singida Municipality recently, the anti-corruption watchdog’s Deputy Director General, Ms Neema Mwakalyelye, said the hospital had become the 24th health facility to benefit from the PCCB initiative.
“All this is to support the efforts of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, whose government has heavily invested in the health sector to strengthen maternal and child health and improve the well-being of Tanzanians,” Ms Mwakalyelye said.
The Deputy Director General added that after reaching out to Singida Regional Referral Hospital, the PCCB would have only four more health facilities to reach, bringing the total to 28 hospitals across the country.
She said PCCB decided to donate an infant radiant warmer, which is used to maintain the body temperature of newborns, and a phototherapy unit, which uses specific wavelengths of light, after learning that the devices were highly needed in regional referral hospitals across the country.
Ms Mwakalyelye reminded the public that PCCB is not a profit-making organisation and that the funds used to purchase the medical devices came from staff contributions, an act she described as compassion and love for the community.
“PCCB staff are also among the stakeholders benefiting from these machines, which have recently helped our PCCB officers in Dodoma, Katavi and Dar es Salaam regions,” the Deputy Director General added.
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According to her, PCCB had already handed over similar devices to regional referral hospitals in 23 regions, namely Arusha, Ruvuma, Mbeya, Songwe, Rukwa, Katavi, Manyara, Dodoma and Coast.
Others are Morogoro, Lindi, Mtwara, Kilimanjaro, Simiyu, Mara, Mwanza, Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, Iringa, Njombe and Tanga.
Welcoming the guest of honour, Singida PCCB Regional Bureau Chief, Mr Sosthenes Kibwengo, said cooperation with various stakeholders, including public institutions, had significantly improved efficiency in project management and the provision of quality services to the public.
He cited cooperation between PCCB offices and the National Prosecutions Service (NPS) in Singida, which had enabled funds and materials worth 616.1m/- to be recovered from suppliers and contractors involved in the construction of three hospital buildings.
“The suppliers and contractors had been paid but had failed to deliver construction materials for more than four years,” he said.
According to Mr Kibwengo, PCCB in the region has maintained a good relationship and strong cooperation with these offices, which are important stakeholders in the fight against corruption and the promotion of good governance.
“This cooperation is part of the implementation of our institutional responsibilities in line with the Institution’s Strategic Plan, which envisions a corruption-free Tanzania. The cooperation covers various areas, including efforts to combat corruption, the fight against HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases, nutrition services, staff ethics and stakeholder engagement,” he added.
He added that PCCB has continued to provide training to health workers at the regional referral hospital, health centres and dispensaries across the region, raising awareness among these stakeholders about the effects of corruption in the health sector and their responsibility to prevent and combat corrupt practices in the workplace.
