In the bid to bring about relief to the citizens on the expenses of hemodialysis treatments in Tanzania, the government, through its chief spokesperson, Mr Gerson Msigwa, said the Medical Store Department has entered a contract with suppliers and manufacturers of hemodialysis equipment. 

Mr Msigwa said the manufacturer agreed to sell a single set of hemodialysis machines for TSh. 57,000/- instead of Tsh. 185,000/- that MSD used to purchase before. 

In that regard, Msigwa said, “MSD from now on will be selling these machines at Tsh. 115,000/- for a set, and not 200,000/- or 250,000/- as it used to be, whereby the cost (Tsh. 115,000/-) shall include repairs and transportation of the device to the designated health facility”. 

In the meantime, there are ten machines from three manufacturers installed at the University of Dodoma Hospital. 

Also, the government is planning to equip all the regional referral hospitals in Tanzania to ensure affordable and quality dialysis services amongst Tanzanianians. 

The Ministry of Health has surveyed 15 hospitals ready to install dialysis machines and sent experts for training to operate the machines.

In the same report before the press in Zanzibar, Msigwa revealed that MSD purchased sixteen machines ready for installation in ten regional referral hospitals in Tanzania. In the future, each hospital shall have ten devices. Msigwa said.