Deputy Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Prof Tumaini Nagu, has underscored the critical need for effective supervision of nursing services to ensure high-quality healthcare delivery across the country.
Her message was delivered on Tuesday by Dr James Kengia, the PO-RALG Health Research Coordinator, during the opening of a two-day working session for Regional Chief Nursing Officers held in Morogoro Municipality.
Prof Nagu’s remarks come amid growing public demand for improved patient care and professionalism in health facilities, especially at the primary healthcare level.
She pointed out that good treatment alone is not enough if nurses do not communicate effectively with patients — a factor she said can significantly impact patient satisfaction and public perception of the health system.
“You may administer the right treatment, but if communication is poor, our clients will leave feeling dissatisfied. That ultimately reflects badly on the entire health sector,” Prof Nagu warned in her statement.
She also called for strict adherence to professional ethics, particularly in maintaining patient confidentiality and hygiene standards, stressing that any deviation undermines trust in public health institutions.
“There have been reports of nurses breaching these fundamental principles. This must stop. Regional nursing officers must enforce accountability,” the statement emphasized.
Also speaking during the session, Jesca Mugabilo, Coordinator of Nursing and Midwifery Services at PO-RALG, said the meeting is part of the government's broader efforts to reinforce nurses' leadership roles in overseeing service delivery across health centres, dispensaries, and hospitals.
“This is a platform to revisit the responsibilities entrusted to nurses and ensure that quality, compassion, and professionalism are at the core of all nursing interventions,” she said.
The meeting, which runs from July 22 to 23, 2025, brings together Chief Nursing Officers from all regions of Mainland Tanzania. It focuses on improving standards in primary healthcare service delivery and sharing best practices in nursing supervision.
The forum comes at a time when the government is intensifying reforms in the health sector under the Third Health Sector Strategic Plan, with an emphasis on decentralised service delivery, human resource development, and patient-centred care.
As the country continues to invest in health infrastructure and workforce capacity, stakeholders say quality assurance, especially in frontline services provided by nurses, will be essential in ensuring that health outcomes improve in both urban and rural settings.