Dar es Salaam — THE East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has committed more than 2.8bn/- (1.06 million US dollars) to construct two health centres and expand emergency healthcare services in Tanga and Geita regions, a move expected to improve access to quality medical care for thousands of residents.
The funding agreements, signed in Dar es Salaam yesterday, will finance the construction of health centres in Bukombe District, Geita Region and Chongoleani Ward in Tanga City, as well as a modern Emergency Medicine Department (EMD) at Bombo Regional Referral Hospital in Tanga.
According to an EACOP statement, the investment forms part of the company's Social and Economic Investment (SEI) programme, which supports essential public infrastructure in communities along the pipeline corridor.
Under the agreements, 350,000 US dollars has been allocated for the construction of Bukombe Health Centre in Geita Region, another 350,000 US dollars for a new health centre in Chongoleani Ward and 363,000 US dollars for the construction of a modern Emergency Medicine Department at Bombo Regional Referral Hospital.
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"Together, these investments represent one of EACOP's legacy community health initiatives and are expected to improve maternal and healthcare services for tens of thousands of people living in the project areas," the statement said.
In Bukombe District, only seven of the district's 17 wards currently have health centres, leaving 10 wards, including Bukombe Ward, without referral-level primary healthcare services.
Residents often travel long distances to access maternal, child health and emergency services.
The new facility is expected to improve access to safe delivery services, antenatal and postnatal care, child immunisation, family planning, nutrition services and outpatient treatment while easing pressure on neighbouring health facilities.
In Chongoleani Ward, one of the fastest-growing periurban areas in Tanga City, the new health centre will serve more than 6,000 residents of Putini, Ndaoya and surrounding communities.
The facility will provide maternity and outpatient services, water and sanitation infrastructure and other essential facilities built to the Ministry of Health's standards.
It is also expected to reduce travel distances for patients, improve maternal and child health outcomes, strengthen disease prevention programmes and decongest existing health facilities.
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Meanwhile, the new Emergency Medicine Department at Bombo Regional Referral Hospital is expected to strengthen emergency preparedness and trauma care in Tanga Region. Established in 1901, Bombo is the region's main referral hospital.
Although it has a design capacity of 600 beds, its emergency department continues to operate under significant infrastructure constraints despite treating about 24,775 emergency patients in 2024.
The existing department has only three treatment rooms, two adult resuscitation rooms, one paediatric resuscitation room and an emergency theatre that is currently nonoperational due to structural challenges.
The department is staffed by only 30 healthcare workers, including two emergency physicians.
According to the statement, the upgraded facility will reduce the need for critically ill patients to travel 196 kilometres to Dar es Salaam or 296 kilometres to Kilimanjaro to access advanced emergency treatment.
EACOP said the hospital also provides emergency stabilisation services for its employees, contractors and surrounding communities, making the investment beneficial to both the local population and the wider regional healthcare system.
The 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline will transport crude oil from Kabaale in Hoima, Uganda, to the Chongoleani Peninsula in Tanga for export to the international market.
EACOP is jointly owned by TotalEnergies (62 per cent), Uganda National Oil Company (15 per cent), Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (15 per cent) and CNOOC (8 per cent).
