NMB Bank has donated an assortment of medical equipment worth 9m/- to Micheweni District Hospital in Pemba as part of its commitment to support better health service delivery.
The bank's donation coincides with 59th anniversary of the Zanzibar Revolution this year.
The donated items included 200-bed sheets, ward separators, five wheelchairs and three pressure machines
Zanzibar President, Dr Hussein Mwinyi who received the items on behalf of the district hospital thanked the bank for its generosity, adding that the launch of the Micheweni District Hospital was a better way of commemorating Zanzibar's 59th anniversary of Revolution.
"This is one of 10 hospitals that we plan to launch this year in all districts in Unguja and Pemba. The next step will be building regional hospitals; we are set to commence with Mjini Magharibi in Unguja and we will continue with other regions.
"We will build a National Hospital in Zanzibar and once completed, there will be no need for transferring sick patients from Zanzibar to Tanzania Mainland or outside the country," Dr Mwinyi said.
He urged the District Hospital's service providers to provide better services adding that customer care is an essential component in health service delivery.
Speaking during the handover ceremony held at Micheweni District Hospital in Pemba yesterday, NMB Zanzibar Branch Manager, Ms Naima Said Shaame, said the bank's donation roots in its commitment to support building of a healthy nation.
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"At NMB Bank, we believe that healthy people are productive hence they are likely to participate in the process of building a healthy nation.
"To this effect, the bank has for the past seven years addressed some critical medical equipment shortages and refurbishing of infrastructures at the country's hospitals to improve health of the sick people. Our donation to Micheweni District Hospital today is a testimony to this," Ms Shaame said.
She noted that promotion of quality health care constitutes one of the main pillars of the bank's Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, adding that the bank commits one per cent of its Profit After Tax (PAT) to finance various corporate social investments in its priority areas, including health, education and emergencies.
The manager expounded that NMB Bank has donated substantially to various hospitals across the country, adding that the bank's donations are making a difference in uplifting the standards of health care delivery across the country.
"As a development partner, we will continue working with the government and other partners in creating meaningful development in communities where we operate," Ms Shaame said.
Zanzibar Minister for Health, Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui reiterated his ministry's commitment to maintaining the infrastructure at the Micheweni District Hospital to provide better health care to all Zanzibaris without discrimination.
