UPWARDS of 1.493bn/- has been used to assist 24 patients who underwent kidney, heart and cochlear implants in the past few months, hospital administrators affirm.

Prof Mohammed Janabi, the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) executive director, said at an event yesterday to detail the use of allocated funds on the initiative of President Samia Suluhu Hassan to facilitate specialised treatments at manageable costs.

He said that so far, MNH has performed kidney transplants for 100 patients, and on average the facility receives 100 to 150 patients per day for dialysis, where each patient spends four hours in the treatment.

The government has allocated funds amounting to two billion shillings to support the patients, he said, in the meeting where the government reaffirmed its commitment to invest more in training healthcare professionals across various specialties to enhance the delivery of specialized medical services throughout the country.

Health minister Ummy Mwalimu asserted the training initiatives help to reduce overseas referrals and save costs, airing an observation that President Samia allocated 5bn/- to improve access to specialized medical services for underprivileged citizens.

Facilities providing such services include the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) in the capital, the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) and MNH, with JKCI serving as a wing of MNH, as is the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI).

"These funds are intended to enhance access to services such as kidney transplants, hearing aids, and heart treatments, particularly for young children," the minister stated, explaining that MNH received over 2bn/-, where more than 50 percent of the allocated funds have already been used.

Expressing satisfaction with 24 beneficiaries having received specialist care at MNH through the funds, she elaborated that five citizens underwent kidney transplants each costing 151.3m/- (at an average of 30m/- per transplant).

Similarly, 14 children received hearing aids at a total cost of 610m/- (averaging 38m/- for single-ear aids and 76m/- for bilateral aids), she said, pointing at assisting five cancer patients who underwent heart transplants costing 345m/- (equivalent to 69m/- per patient).

She emphasized the president's commitment to ensuring economically disadvantaged citizens access these specialized medical treatments at minimal cost, urging MNH administrators to astutely providing the services and ensuring the use of the funds intensely included their intended beneficiaries as seen in this initial phase.

Through enhanced training, specialised medical services will be more accessible at regional and referral hospitals where there is greater demand, thereby reducing the need for patients to seek assistance at MNH for such ailments, she added.