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Ward residents put up health facility to cater for the elderly
2008-09-02 11:18:31
By Patrick Kisembo
Mwembesongo Ward in Morogoro Region have constructed a health facility worth 15m/- that intends to hire a specialised doctor for elderly people.
Ward executive officer Magoso Charles made the revelation when briefing a European Union delegation recently that had visited the country to learn how Tanzania\'s government was dealing with elderly people.
Charles said the ward had decided to build the health centre to save the lives of elderly people who for years were left unattended.
She said the ward intended to hire a specialised doctor who would be serving the elderly.
``Our country has hired specialists for children and expectant mothers but not for the elderly. My ward has decided to construct this centre that will hire a specialised doctor for elderly people. I think we are the first ward in the country to do such a thing,`` she said.
She said elderly people deserved to be respected as they were important in the society, adding that since getting old was a natural process, society was bound to take responsibility for their well-being.
She clarified that residents in her ward had responded positively to a campaign to contribute to the construction of the health facility knowing that old people were a treasure to any society.
She appreciated the efforts made by ward councilor Francis Kaenzi in sensitising the residents on the project.
Commenting on the ward residents` efforts, some elderly people said completion of the building would go a long way to assuring them of health services unlike in the past when they used to being ignored in government hospitals.
Teddy Shilagi said it was time the central government, in collaboration with the local government, ensured that the elderly were provided with quality health services.
On her part, Amina Athuman said since the elderly were so many in Tanzanian societies, there was need for the government to implement its policy on elderly people.
Speaking at the event, Jana Korbelova from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs- Department of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid in the Czech Republic, said she appreciated the way the government and local authorities were taking care of elderly people.
Korbelova said she had learnt a lot on how Tanzanians were responsible for the elderly.
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