GEITA: GEITA Region currently has 2,669 health workers, representing 46 per cent of the required 5,769 health sector staff needed to adequately serve the region.
Regional Medical Officer, Dr Omari Sukari, disclosed this over the weekend during a meeting of the Regional Consultative Committee (RCC).
He said that of the existing workforce, 1,069 health workers were employed within the past four years under the Sixth Phase Government led by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Dr Sukari acknowledged that despite the progress, some newly built health facilities are yet to start offering services due to incomplete construction or shortages of staff.
“As we continue to receive more health workers, we will deploy them to newly built health centres and to facilities facing acute shortages to ensure services are delivered,” he said.
He urged local government authorities to allocate funds from internally generated revenue to hire contract health workers to complement central government efforts.
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An official from the Ministry of Health, Dr Neema Mtambo, said the government continues to invest in improving health services through staff recruitment, construction of health facilities and procurement of medical equipment.
“It is true that there is a serious shortage of health service providers, especially in dispensaries, but we thank the President because every year she approves new recruitments,” she said.
Dr Neema further called on local councils to establish formal plans to allocate 20 per cent of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds towards hiring contract health workers to strengthen service delivery at the grassroots level.