ACCESS to health services in Dodoma Region has continued to improve in comparison to last year.
According to Acting Dodoma Regional Medical Officer (RMO), Dr Samuel Sebeju shortage of health personnel stands at 66 per cent, further saying that 96 Health Centres are being run by nurses or health attendants.
The RMO was presenting an implementation report of the health sector to the Regional Consultative Committee, where he further noted that access to health services has continued to improve including improved infrastructure, while health facilities have increased from 429 in 2021 to 477 by December 2022.
Dr Sebuje said the region has also managed to move the services closer to the people especially surgical services, which are being provided in 36 health centres and 11 hospitals.
He also added that diagnosis services have also improved while availability of medicines has reached 90 percent this year.
"The improvement has been contributed by an increase in health budget especially that of medicines and medical supplies from 4.77 per cent in 2020/22 to 5.28bn/- to 2022/2023.
On health personnel, Dr Sebeju said that the region has been addressing the shortage of health workers by employing the cadre, whenever the budget situation allows.
He said the region was still having the shortage of 6,060 health workers equivalent to 66 per cent , adding that a total of 96 health centres are being led by nurses and health attendants.
Statistics indicate that Kongwa District is leading in shortage of health personnel (1,428), Mpwapwa (1,130), Bahi (737), Kondoa District (719), Chamwino (653), Chemba (522), Kondoa Town Council (324), Dodoma City Council (360) and Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital (187).
On immunisation services, Dr Sebeju said the region has attained 115 per cent of the target for pentavalent vaccine for children and 109 for Measles and Rubella (MR 1) and 99 percent for MR 2 for children under five.
On Covid -19 he said, the region has received 2,025,055 doses of vaccines since the vaccination campaign began in 2021 and until November 2022 a total of 1,663,827 people equivalent to 133 percent were vaccinated.
