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Mwakyusa implores banks to assist health sector
2008-05-05 09:21:29
By Guardian Reporter
Health and Social Welfare Minister Prof. David Mwakyusa has challenged bankers and other financial institutions to set aside a certain amount of their profits to assist the country's impecunious health sector.
Prof. Mwakyusa made the challenge when receiving assistance of assorted health facilities worth 11m/- from BOA Bank Tanzania Ltd on behalf of Temeke municipal hospital at the weekend in Dar es Salaam.
BOA Bank donation includes 50 treated mosquito nets, waste bins and medicine storage facilities.
The minister, thanking the bank for the assistance, stressed the need for other banks and financial institutions to emulate the example so as tor improve the country`s health sector.
``The government recognises the presence of BOA Bank in the country and its role in improving people`s livelihood`` said Prof. Mwakyusa.
He therefore requested the bank to soften its loans` conditions so that small-scale enterprises benefits from its services.
Citing examples of the people living around the newly established Tandika BOA branch, Mwakyusa said most of them are experiencing abject poverty, urging the bank to soften its loans` conditions to make the people uplift their living standards.
``Establishing the branch in Tandika shows how the bank is keenly dedicated to uplift small-scale entrepreneurs in the country,`` he said, adding that most banks ignore the SMEs as viable business segment.
Handing over the donation, BOA Managing Director Kobby Andah said his bank has a custom of assisting the society in which it operates.
``Temeke hospital has a great role to us and the society in general because we believe that healthy people could participate effectively to production. This is what makes us BOA and other commercial banks survive,`` he said.
Andah said that BOA bank has a countrywide strategy geared to assist and empower SMEs and middle enterprises to improve their businesses.
In his vote of appreciation, Temeke hospital director, Dr. Suleiman Muttani thanked the bank saying currently his hospital has 314 beds.
He said the numbers of beds per patients who are admitted on daily basis are inadequate as sometimes the situation forces patients to share beds.
Temeke hospital receives between 1,200 and 1,500 out patients per day, while pregnant women and children reach 400 per day, a situation described as too serious and urgently need to be addressed.
``This is three times more than other hospitals in the city gets. The hospital admits between 100 and 120 patients per day, while 50 to 70 women deliver on daily basis,`` said Dr. Muttani.
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