MWANZA: ALL health department employees in the Kwimba District Council, Mwanza Region, have received training on the correct and safe use of cooking gas, alongside an in-depth explanation of the health impacts associated with the use of firewood and charcoal.
The training was provided by Oryx Gas Tanzania, with the primary goal being to equip health sector personnel with a broad understanding of clean cooking energy, particularly cooking gas, and for them to become ambassadors to the wider community, including patients.
Speaking yesterday during the training session for health sector staff, Mr Peter Ndomba, Training Manager at Oryx Gas Tanzania, stated that this effort is part of their ongoing commitment to promote the use of clean cooking energy. He emphasized, ” decided to focus on the health sector group in this district.”
“We have decided to offer this training to health workers in Kwimba District because we know that when people face health problems, they come to the hospital. Therefore, those health workers are often the first to meet the public with health issues.”
“We decided to provide them with in-depth training on the correct use of gas, its safety, and all related matters, from environmental impacts to health effects. Over 267 health workers, including those from Kwimba District Hospital, participated in this two-day training on clean cooking energy.”
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“We are happy with the large response, and this training is just the beginning. We will expand to all institutions, schools, and any platform we can reach to ensure that the entire community adopts clean cooking energy.”
Mr Ndomba also thanked the leadership of Kwimba District Hospital, the District Medical Officer (DMO), and the Chief Medical Officer for providing the opportunity to meet with doctors and nurses to educate them about gas, which many people are unfamiliar with.
“We have realized the importance of spreading this education so that health workers can become ambassadors when they meet the public, especially mothers coming to the hospital with various problems.
They can explain to them that the use of clean energy is crucial and will help reduce many problems caused by firewood and charcoal,” Ndomba added.
On their part, the health workers in the district expressed gratitude for the training. Some admitted they had been using cooking gas for a long time but had not understood its benefits and disadvantages until now, and they will now act as ambassadors to others.
Mr Christian Mvula, a Senior Nurse at Kwimba District Hospital, said, “We are grateful to Oryx for providing us with training on the correct use of gas and for encouraging us to transition from using charcoal and firewood to cooking with gas.”
“Honestly, we’ve received proper education on using gas as a cooking energy source in our homes. We, as staff, benefit from this service, and we were suffering when using firewood and charcoal, especially during the rainy season when it’s hard to find.”
“After this training, we now understand that cooking gas is a safe energy source, and it has become more affordable for us since we previously had misconceptions, especially about safety and costs. We were also taught how to maintain and inspect the gas daily to avoid problems, and we were educated on the dangers of firewood and charcoal.”
Meanwhile, Nurse Salome Malale shared that she had been using gas for 15 years but did not know its advantages and disadvantages. As a nurse, she has encountered many challenges, as many people in her community still rely on firewood and charcoal.
“As I know, many people have had lung and eye problems from using firewood and charcoal, and they came to the hospital for treatment. Now, with the knowledge I’ve gained, I can educate the community about using gas and encourage them to stop using firewood or charcoal.”
Mr Robert Mayombya, a staff member at Kwimba District Hospital, expressed his happiness with the clean cooking energy training. “I’ve learned the proper way to use gas instead of firewood and charcoal, and I believe I will educate my family and neighbors to stop using firewood and charcoal and instead use gas.”