The government has intensified efforts to improve emergency healthcare services by strengthening the practical skills of health workers dealing with critically ill patients and newborns.
The initiative is being implemented through onsite mentorship by the Ministry of Health’s Department of Emergency and Disaster Management in collaboration with the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) and development partner Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
The mentorship programme continued for a second day on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at Madaba District Council Hospital in Ruvuma Region, where health professionals are receiving hands-on support aimed at improving the management of medical emergencies.
The programme focuses on equipping healthcare workers with practical skills needed to respond promptly and effectively to patients in critical condition, including newborn babies who require immediate and specialised attention.
Rather than relying solely on classroom-based training, the onsite mentorship allows health workers to strengthen their skills within their own facilities and apply the knowledge directly to real-life emergency cases.
The approach is expected to help bridge gaps between training and actual service delivery, particularly in district-level health facilities where timely intervention can be critical to patient outcomes.
The Ministry said the mentorship is also being conducted in Mbeya, Mtwara, Dodoma, Pwani, Mwanza, Manyara, Arusha and Morogoro regions.
The expansion of the programme across multiple regions is aimed at ensuring more health workers can access practical support and improve their capacity to provide quality emergency care.
For patients and families, stronger emergency-care capacity at district hospitals could mean faster intervention and better chances of receiving appropriate treatment closer to home, reducing the need for referrals where specialised care is not immediately available.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Tanzania’s health system by investing in frontline health workers and improving the country's capacity to respond to medical emergencies.
