L. ZONE: Hospital ship promises ‘mobile’ healthcare for Lake Victoria islanders

A mobile hospital ship is been launched on Lake Victoria, bringing medical care to the residents of the area's 3,000 islands.

>After years of contending with little or no access to healthcare facilities, thousands of residents living on about 170 islands in Lake Victoria will now have a reason to smile—thanks to the Royal Navy Ship that has been deployed to serve as a floating hospital.   The “saviour” ship has landed at Lake Victoria after six months at sea and over 850km (500 miles) overland.

Geita Gold Mine (GGM) has signed a five-year contract worth over TZ 680million to support Lake Victoria’s first medical boat, which is an initiative of The Jubilee Hope Medical and Dental Programme - a partnership between the African Inland Church of Tanzania and the Vine Trust.
As part of the contract, GGM will cover all fuel and maintenance costs for the boat until 2019, thereby ensuring that the 450,000 residents of the Lake Victoria islands have access to the much needed primary...

>MV Victoria that got technical faults while on its way from Bukoba to Mwanza last Friday night is safe to operate, the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) has assured passengers.

>Tarime District Hospital faces an acute shortage of safe blood as well as blood-testing equipment, a situation that poses serious health risks to patients in need of blood transfusion.

>Brutal killings of elderly people have been reported in the Lake Zone ahead of the festive season, The Citizen has learnt.

The plan was unveiled by the medical officer in charge of the centre, Dr Boniface Manditi during a recent tour of the State minister in the Prime Minister’s Office-Regional 

Kagera. Local residents are asking the government to speed up the implementation of a project to hook up Lake and Central Zones to a safe water reservoir at Lake Victoria.

Residents of Chalinze have been promised of a health facility if they elect a contestant on the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), Mr Ridhwan Kikwete, in by election scheduled for this Sunday.