FOUR senior officials at the Medical Stores Department (MSD) have been suspended over embezzlement charges involving 1.5bn/-.
They are Zonal and Customer Care Director Cosmas Mwaifani, Director of Finance and Planning, Joseph Tesha, the Director of Supplies, Misanga Muja, and the Director of Procurement, Herry Mchunga.
Announcing the suspensions in Dar es Salaam, the Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu, directed the MSD Board Chairman, Professor Idris Mtulia, to immediately serve such ‘crooked officials’ with letters to that effect.
Ms Mwalimu issued the order when receiving equipment for the Maternity Ward of Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in the city.
The equipment issued by the MSD includes 120 beds, 120 mattresses, 10 hydro-beds, 10 children’s beds and 110 bed sheets.
She said her decision came after an investigation and audit report that revealed fraud involving the said amount, caused through misuse of public funds and breach of procurement procedures as required by the law.
“I direct the board’s chairperson to serve a suspension notice to the four top officials of the MSD. They should be kept aside pending an investigation on the matter,” she said, calling on other workers in her ministry and allied sectors to act professionally.
The minister said the government is committed and focused to ensure that all citizens enjoy health services that are being offered in public hospitals and health centres.
She noted that at the moment there is no need for Tanzanians to go abroad in search of medical treatment as all crucial services offered at the MNH are of high quality and standard.
“The public should note that we are committed to ensuring that they are served on time and with better equipment. You can see the efforts being made by the government.
I assure you of massive improvement in the health sector,” Ms Mwalimu stressed. She further directed the MNH Acting Director General, Prof Lawrence Mseru, to ensure that the equipment received is installed within two hours to enable patients to start enjoying better treatment.
“There is no need for delay as we have everything here,” she stated. Additional directives have also been relayed countrywide to the regional and district commissioners (RCs and DCs) to ensure they have a daily bed status in hospitals within their respective areas of jurisdiction and notify the ministry in case of any shortage.
“I, therefore, expect to start receiving daily bed status reports of all public hospitals in the country from RCs and DCs and take immediate measures to ensure no one sleeps on the floor.
Let’s copy the speed that is shown by President Magufuli,” she explained. She said by addressing the challenges at regional and other referral hospitals, the government would be able to reduce the overcrowding of patients at the MNH, the country’s major referral hospital.
President John Magufuli last Wednesday made a surprise visit to the MNH’s Maternity Ward where he saw the congestion of mothers due to the shortage of beds caused by limited space.
He, therefore, directed the Ministry of Health and the MNH to convert the use of the ministry’s offices at the Maternity and Child Care Building to additional space for the maternity ward to accommodate more expectant mothers and enable them to sleep on beds instead of on the floor as he witnessed in his surprise visit.
The directive prompted a flurry of activity at the building to remove office equipment from the department on Sunday.
At the end of the same day, over 100 beds had been arranged, an exercise that continued yesterday under close supervision of Mrs Mwalimu and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Mpoki Ulisubisya.
“The goal is to put 300 beds in the building to accommodate expectant mothers. Many babies are born prematurely and these beds are so special for them,” she noted.
/Daily News.
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