Tanzania pushes for PPP to expand rehabilitation services
MINISTER for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, has urged the private sector to leverage the limited rehabilitation services by partnering with the government to make the services more widely accessible across the country.
He noted that awareness of the availability and importance of rehabilitation services in the country remains low, with many people mistakenly believing that fitness centres are the primary providers of the services.
“For this reason, I want to emphasise that this is a significant opportunity for the private sector to support government efforts in making rehabilitation services widely available.
I commend Rehab Health Tanzania for leading the charge in raising community awareness about these essential services,” said Prof Mkenda.
Prof Mkenda made the remarks in Dar es Salaam yesterday on behalf of Health Minister Jenista Mhagama, during the opening of the second national rehabilitation conference organised by Rehab Health Tanzania.
He said that awareness of the availability and importance of rehabilitation services in the country remains low, with many people mistakenly believing that fitness centres are the primary providers of the services.
“For this reason, I want to emphasise that this is a significant opportunity for the private sector to support government efforts in making rehabilitation services widely available.
I commend Rehab Health Tanzania for leading the charge in raising community awareness about these essential services,” said Prof Mkenda.
He pointed out the shortage of human resources in the field of rehabilitation, with most professionals found only in regional and zonal referral hospitals.
“According to the Registrar of the Tanganyika Medical Council, by August 2024, Tanzania had 671 physiotherapy specialists, 158 occupational therapy specialists, 125 prosthetic and orthotic specialists and six speech therapy specialists,” he explained.
He added that to address the shortage of human resources in rehabilitation services, a degree programme in occupational therapy and speech therapy has been established at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) for the 2023-2024 academic year.
“The government’s goal is to continue improving health service delivery facilities so they can provide rehabilitation services, which are currently lacking, especially in primary care facilities,” he said.
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For her part, Rehab Health Executive Director Remla Shirima noted that although rehabilitation services have been offered in the country for over 70 years, further efforts are needed to strengthen the delivery system for the services
She praised the government, through the Ministry of Health, for establishing a unit within the medical services department that oversees rehabilitation services, stating that significant steps have been taken since its inception.
“For the fiscal year 2024/2025, rehabilitation services have become among the Ministry’s priority in its budget.
