The Minister of Health, Jenista Mhagama, has directed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health to prioritize health workers from primary healthcare facilities for specialized training and expertise, with the aim of improving healthcare services starting from the grassroots level.
Speaking on April 9, 2025, during the closing session of the Annual Conference for Chief Medical Officers from primary healthcare facilities, Mhagama emphasized the importance of this initiative.
"President Dr. Samia has established a special fund for training professionals in the health sector, known as the Samia Scholarship. We must ensure that the program includes doctors, anesthetists, laboratory specialists, and nurses. When we decide to send health workers for specialized training, those from primary healthcare centers should be given priority, because they are responsible for providing 80% of medical services. It is crucial to bring specialized care to the grassroots level," stated Mhagama.
She urged chief medical officers to serve as role models for ethical conduct and to effectively manage the staff they lead, ensuring that the healthcare sector earns respect by adhering to their oaths, guidelines, and professional ethics.
Mhagama further noted that both the Ministry of Health and the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI), are working to implement the directives of President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, including the distribution of 600 tablets to chief medical officers to help align with the global digital transformation.
Additionally, Mhagama highlighted that the Ministry of Health is following President Dr. Samia’s directive to allocate 1 billion Tanzanian shillings to the President’s Office, TAMISEMI, in order to extend the management system to areas that have not yet been covered.
"I strongly encourage chief medical officers to oversee the proper usage, management, and operation of primary healthcare centers, particularly in terms of revenue collection," added Mhagama.
