THE government of Zanzibar is set to purchase modern ambulance boats to transport patients from the islets around Pemba to referral hospitals in Unguja.

Deputy Minister for health Hassan Khamis Hafidh unveiled this here yesterday in the National Assembly when responding to a question by Mtambwe legislator Dr Mohammed Ali Suleiman who wanted to know what the government was doing to address transportation challenges in the islets such as Kokota.

Hafidh said the ministry was aware of the transport challenges facing residents in the area,adding the current boat needs a lot of fuel to move within a short distance. 

He said that the challenge has not stopped the services of transporting patients because there are different boats that have been accommodated in the M-MAMA programme to continue transporting patients.

He said the ministry of health continues with its efforts to engage companies to provide services of transporting pregnant mothers and children.

He said that the main problem with Wete boat is that there is a huge need for fuel as well as the lack of mechanical service while Kojani Island services continue to be provided through boats that exist via the M-MAMA system.

In response to another question which was asked by  Wingwi representative Kombo Mwinyi Shehe who wanted to know why the Ministry of Health did not give the work to private companies so that residents get better services, the deputy minister said that they have started, adding that after starting to work with private companies, services have improved, including the availability of drugs in health centres by 90 percent.

He said that the assessment of the effectiveness of service delivery is usually done every year, a full report on the assessment of maternal and child mortality will be issued after completing at least one year.