The government is assessing primary healthcare facilities in Simiyu Region to determine their compliance with national quality standards and identify gaps affecting the delivery of health services to citizens.
The exercise, known as the Star Rating Assessment, is being conducted by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG).
The assessment, which started on October 26, 2026, covers public, private and faith-based health facilities across all six councils in the region. It is expected to be completed on November 5, 2026.
The exercise is part of the government's efforts to improve the quality of primary healthcare by ensuring that facilities provide services in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines and standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Health professionals participating in the assessment received training on October 22, 2026, ahead of the evaluation.
Under the star-rating system, dispensaries, health centres and hospitals are assessed against established quality benchmarks, with each facility receiving a rating based on its performance.
The results are expected to provide a measure of the quality of services available to communities while helping authorities identify weaknesses that require intervention.
The assessment is also intended to guide improvements in healthcare delivery by highlighting areas where facilities need to strengthen their performance.
For citizens, the exercise is important because the ratings can help establish whether primary healthcare facilities are meeting the required standards and where improvements are needed to ensure better access to quality services.
The exercise covers facilities regardless of ownership, bringing government-run institutions, private providers and faith-based organisations under the same quality assessment framework.