Tanzania: ... Where 1.3tri/ - IMF Relief Fund Will Go
By Maureen Odunga
Minister Mwigulu Nchemba has detailed how the 1.3tri/- Covid-19 relief fund from the International Monetary Fund will be spent.
The relief package for implementation of the national socio-economic relief plan and fight against the Covid-19 pan- demic was unveiled in Dodoma, on Sunday in a colourful ceremony that was headed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Elaborating, Dr Nchemba noted that the fund released under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) and Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) will help to strengthen delivery and access to social services during the pandemic.
He mentioned the areas as including the construction of classrooms, purchasing learn ing materials, installation of water services and procurement of medical equipment in the country's health facilities.
"After the IMF approved the emergency support, President Samia Suluhu Hassan asked us to come up with a plan on how the country is going to mitigate the effects of the pandemic...we devised the plan using her directives," Dr Nchemba pointed out.
He further said the fund will help in addressing congestion of students in schools through the construction of 15,000 classrooms for secondary and 3000 primary schools in the coming academic year.
"The classrooms will help to reduce chances of Covid-19 infection among students and pupils in classes as they will be able to observe a social dis- tancing," he noted.
Giving further details, he noted that over 462,765 desks will be bought for second- ary and primary schools and see also the construction of six Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) colleges and 26 others which had not made any progress Besides, the credit financing will be used for the construction of lecture rooms in 17 teachers' colleges and used for publishing 10,812 braille text books for students with the blind students.
He observed that experts have proven that regular hand washing is important measure in controlling spread of the corona- virus, thus the government has set aside 46.2bn/- for water projects in the urban and 55.5bn/- in rural areas to ensure that water services are brought closer to the people in fighting the pandemic.
Similarly, he noted that the funds will buy 25 water wells drilling vehicles for each regional water authority and procure five machines for drilling water in drought areas.
In the case of the health sec- tor, the minister identified that 467bn/- has been set aside in the area of health including the construction of 72 intensive care units (ICU) from the current five ICUs valued at 54bn/-.
He further pointed out that about 105 Emergency Medicine Departments (EMD) will be introduced in strategic health facilities in the country to save lives of Tanzanians.
Among other key services include procurement of 20 state of the art ambulances from two similar ambulances and other 375 ordinary ambulances which will be distributed in each council.
He, however, noted that 214 vaccination vehicles, installation of 82 manifold oxygen systems in the health facilities from the national to the district level and 4,640 oxygen cylinders is life saving.
On the other hand, 44 oxy- gen production plants from the current available four plants will be introduced in the health facilities.
The money will also buy 2700 hospital beds and its entire accompaniment such as lockers, bed sheets and others will be bought, as well as 60 anaesthesia machines and PPEs for the country's medical attendants, who work day and night to save the lives of people.
"The President directed us to introduce ICT in the health sector, therefore we are going to do that in four health facilities," he said.
Dr Nchemba further said that they have set aside funds for the procurement of 311,765 vaccines as part of the Covax facility making up the 11million doses for Tanzania.
This article originally appeared on Daily News.
Photo: Daily News Media.