Zanzibar — ZANZIBAR President Hussein Mwinyi has said the isles has been strengthening internationally accredited standards healthcare as specialised and super-specialised medical services to its people in the country.
"That means we are strengthening and widening our services to our people. The services that people used to seek abroad are now available in our country at affordable cost," he added.
Dr Mwinyi made the statement in his speech at the official launch of Tanzania Ophthalmology Society (TOS) conference (the fifth), while meeting Eye Health Workers congress from Tanzania (Mainland).
The event was graced by the Zanzibar First VicePresident Othman Masoud Othman who read the speech on behalf of Dr Mwinyi.
He said the Zanzibar Ministry of Health is strengthening the PEC, knowing that it is the key to better services in future and that it helps in early identification of eye diseases and also helps reduce burden to the specialised hospitals.
The Ministry, would like the PEC-web to spread all over the country by 2030, therefore it is our call to you to cooperate, to make sure we accomplish this by 100 per cent in the specified time," Dr Mwinyi said in the speech.
Primary eye care (PEC) is a broad concept, encompassing the prevention of potentially blinding eye diseases through primary health care (PHC).
Also read: President Mwinyi steers Zanzibar to greater heights
The PEC includes the identification, with treatment or referral, of individuals with treatable causes of blindness; and the diagnosis and treatment of common eye diseases, particularly those causing an acute red eye.
President said the government, through its Ministry of Health, is highly dependent on TOS, regarding eye health matters, and he understands that TOS is one of the organised associations, despite having few members.
"My appeal to all members is that, you need to be active by paying your annual subscription fees; attending local and international professional meetings, participating and engaging fully in society activities," he said.
Dr Mwinyi in the written speech expressed his happiness with the Congress theme 2024 which says "2030 IN SIGHT; Climbing the Mountain of Knowledge; Innovation and Collaboration for a Brighter Future."
Theme drives our governments that in order to achieve the 2030 Insight Goals, we need skilled professionals; we need good diagnostic equipment; and we need good collaboration among ourselves and countries that have developed in provision of quality eye and health services as a whole.
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He assured TOS members that the Zanzibar Government will work with them closely, to overcome some of the challenges including lack of good commitment among professionals; lack of funds to run organisations; and lack of established governance framework, to enable citizens enjoy the benefits of professional bodies to the fullest extent.
Dr Mwinyi expressed his sincere appreciation to TOS for organising an eye camp as part of the 1000 eye patients, who were screened and 300 eye surgeries treated including surgeries.
Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, the Zanzibar Minister for Health, advised the youth in schools to study the profession of Ophthalmology, because the demand in healthcare has been increasing.
He said the government is ready to fund the special training to have more experts as the Principal Secretary (PS) Dr Habiba Omar said that in strengthening eye services in the country, the Ministry will continue to reach out to all citizens who suffer from such problems in order to reduce vision complications.
TOS President Dr Christopher Mwanansao said the conference was opportunity to provide services to the community during the fourDay camp, where more than a thousand people were examined.
He said in the camp, a big number of people were found with eye pressure and said that there was a need for the party to cooperate with the government to conduct more research on the problem.
