KOICA Provides $70,000 Worth of Emergency Treatment Equipment to 5 National Hospitals in Tanzania

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA held a donation ceremony on the 11th (local time) at Amana General Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to provide emergency surgery and treatment equipment worth $70,000 to five national hospitals located in Dar es Salaam.

Tanzania is exposed to various diseases and infections, with approximately 40,000 tuberculosis deaths, about 20,000 malaria deaths, and around 24,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS. Due to poor treatment conditions, the mortality rate for children under five reaches 54 per 1,000.

Recently, the global COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of infections and significantly raised the demand for emergency treatment facilities in national hospitals in Tanzania. In response, KOICA urgently provided medical equipment worth $70,000 to five national hospitals in Dar es Salaam (Amana General Hospital, Temeke General Hospital, Sinza Hospital, Illala Hospital, Kigamboni Hospital) for the surgery and treatment of various emergency patients.

The supplied medical equipment includes 13 essential devices for infection analysis and treatment, such as oxygen therapy devices, serum analyzers, heart rate monitors, and intensive care monitors, as well as various reagents and consumables. KOICA distributed the donations differentially according to the hospitals' existing medical equipment and ensured immediate installation and usability.

Rashid Umpaume, Director of the Dar es Salaam Regional Health Office at the Tanzania Ministry of Health, said, “KOICA’s support of emergency surgical equipment to Amana General Hospital, which currently has 350 inpatients and treats about 1,000 patients daily, will greatly help many patients recover. We are also grateful for the provision of oxygen therapy devices necessary for serum analysis and surgery to the other four hospitals, enabling faster surgeries in the future.”

Agyucheol, Head of KOICA Tanzania Office, stated, “This urgent support of equipment needed for emergency surgery to five national hospitals is linked to the health sector co-financing project worth a total of $7 million that KOICA has been implementing over three years since 2019. KOICA will continue to strive as a strategic partner in Tanzania’s healthcare sector to treat and eradicate various diseases.”