MWANANYAMALA Regional Referral Hospital in Dar es Salaam has received critical medical equipment worth 19m/-, in a significant contribution to improving maternal healthcare.

Donated by Stanbic Bank Tanzania, the medical facilities includes one patient monitor, six vacuum extractors, six Caesarean section sets, and 1,000 Mackintosh disposable sheets, aiming to enhance safe delivery services and reduce maternal and child mortality.

Receiving the donated items on Thursday, Ayoub Kibao, Coordinator of HIV/AIDS in Dar es Salaam who represented Dr Mohamed Mang’unda, Dar es Salaam chief physician expressed gratitude to the bank, urging other stakeholders to continue supporting the health sector. 

“This equipment will significantly improve the quality of care for mothers and their new-borns. We encourage more partners to come forward and help save lives,” he said.

The equipment donation is expected to have an immediate positive impact on the hospital’s operations, improving outcomes for both mothers and children. 

“This is the gesture sets an inspiring example of how private sector involvement can contribute to improving public healthcare services in Tanzania,” he said.

Kibao said that Mwananyamala Hospital, which handles around 800 deliveries per month, had been facing a shortage of critical delivery equipment. 

“Before this intervention, the hospital operated with only two vacuum extractors, 10 Caesarean sets, and six patient monitors—four in the wards and two in the theatre—with no disposable Mackintosh sheets available,” he said.

The donation significantly bolsters the hospital’s capacity to safely deliver more babies, particularly those requiring Caesarean sections, which account for about 20 deliveries each month.

Omari Mtiga, bank’s director of personal and private banking, expressed the bank’s commitment to improving healthcare and highlighted other community-driven initiatives.

“We’re deeply involved in supporting various sectors of society. For instance, through our partnership with Vodacom Tanzania in the ‘Twende Butiama’ program, we planted 50,000 trees across 12 regions as part of our environmental conservation efforts,” he said.

Janeth Kimambo, who played a vital role in connecting Mwananyamala Hospital with Stanbic Bank, is a strong advocate for community health and wellness. She emphasized the importance of corporate support in strengthening healthcare systems, especially in resource-constrained settings.