Report for the Launch of Muse Prinmat Maternity and Nursing Home

REPORT FOR THE LAUNCH OF MUSE PRINMAT MATERNITY AND NURSING HOME.

LAKE ZONE.

MWANZA, NYAMAGANA DISTRICT

10thMARCH 2017

(

PRINMAT Head Office

P.O. BOX 60442

DAR ES SALAAM

Email:

Website:

LAUNCH OF NEW MUSE PRINMAT MATERNITY AND NURSING HOME, MWANZA,

MAHINA- KATI .

NYAMAGANA DISTRICT.

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

PRINMAT LAKE ZONE members, on behalf of PRINMAT as a whole organization would like to express sincere gratitude to individuals, institutions, and organizations that supported the success of the launch of New Muse PRINMAT Maternity and Nursing Home which is one of the PRINMAT Maternity Nursing Homes in Mwanza. The event was great success both for Community members getting health services and in particular Maternal and Child health but also was success to PRINMAT for the advocacy purposes.

Among others, PRINMAT would wish to thank Pharm Access Foundation for the very generousfinancial support and for theequipments that were provided to thirteen PRINMAT Maternity Homes in Lake Zone. Sincere thanks toMwanza Regional Commissioner (Hon. John V.K. Mongella for identifying PRINMAT as a potential organization for improvementof Maternal, neonatal nd child health (MNCH) and so gave true moral support before and during the event.

We thank Regional Medical Officer, (RMO),Mwanza region, who on behalf of the RC and on his own behalf became the Guest of Honor. We thank Dr. Leonard Subi (RMO) for appreciating midwives as the frontline workers in maternal health and that by working with midwives, Mwanza could reduce maternal mortality, this through good services, keen screening during ante natal and timely and proper referral when there is need to do so.

While we have to convey our thanks to many people we also cannot forget Various of health departments at regional and district level under the Regional Nursing Officer Mrs. Agnes Hassan, Coca Cola company region, Kibuyu Entertainment & Mobile Sound, Kadogoringoma, Mzigu Primary School, Thomas Safari and Tours Mwanza, Mc kibuyu and Mc Langalanga, Jilambe Catering services, and MeMPrinting, the Media group in particular Star TV and Radio City FM.

Many thanks to all PRINMAT members from lake zone and Head of Office in Dar es salaam, Village Executive Officer Mahina-Kati, TUGHE- Mwanza, Desk chair Foundation, Nyakato Primary School, Nyanza and Omega Secondary schools and all those who in one or another contributed to the success of the activity.

Least and mot last we thank all Community members who came for services on that day.

Thanks to all

RukiaMkama

......

Chair Person-Lake Zone

2. BRIEF ABOUT PRINMAT

Private Nurses and Midwives Association of Tanzania is fast growing nurses and midwives organization in Tanzania, it is an NGO that is run and managed by Nurses and midwives who are in private practice (Practicing Nurses/Midwives). PRINMAT now has more than 80 health facilities known and registered by the Ministry of Health through Tanzania Nurses and Midwives Councilafter approval by the respective districts and regions.

The organization’s governance has an Annual General Meeting (AGM) that is made by all members, and then the Board that has 10 to12 membersis elected by the AGM members after every five years. The Executive Secretary is appointed by the Board. PRINMAT has the Head office with various departments under the Executive Secretary.

All activities are coordinated by Head office in support and close collaboration with the Board Chairperson. Head office is the Management section of the organization.

PRINMAT structure also works in its five Zones that are; Lake Zone, Northern Zone, Central Zone, Eastern Zone and Southern Zone. Each zone has a Zonal Representative who isalso a Board member. Through the Zone Representatives, PRINMAT Head office finds it easy to communicate with each with its Maternity Homes Clinic Managers (these are the AGM members.) The Monitoring department of the Head officeis fully responsible to ensure that standards and quality services are provided at all Maternity Homes.

Lake Zone alone has 40 facilities (Maternity Homes). In this Zone,Safe project Care project (Business of Quality BOQ) is being implemented; the project that is meant to bring qualityto implementing facilities;thisis why the Launch of Muse Maternity Home was done after being renovated to become of quality in all aspects as expected by the project indicators. Lake Zone past includes Mwanza, Geita, Mara, Kagera and Simiyu regions. Safe Care project is supervised and financed by Pharm Access Foundation. Nurses and midwives have been working with the community in Maternal, Newborn and Child health for the past sixteen years and have delivered remarkable results in the field of MNCH and reproductive health at the respective communities.

1. THE LAUNCH OF MUSE MATERNITY HOME

The launch activity was done with great efforts of Lake Zone members under the leadership of the Lake Zone Chairperson Ms. RukiaMkama. Lake Zone worked hard to make sure that Muse Maternity was inaugurated newly with the publicity as was done.

Contribution from each member was facilitated and accomplished. T-shirts were printed, invitations were sent to various stake holders in health, the nearby districts, and Mwanza region per se. Mwanza Regional Commissioner Hon Mongera gave a lot of support for this activity to take place. The Mwanza Regional Medical officer Dr. Leonard Subi gave his full support to PRINMAT members in Mwanza. Community Leaders and Community Members were incorporated very well and they participated fully. PRINMAT head office did most of the administrative work and attended the launch. PRINMAT Board and the Board Chairperson was fully responsible to support the preparation process and attended the launch.Pharm access team from their head office in Dar essalaam attended the launch, the Technical Director, Ms. Ingrid was present, accompanied with other PharmaccessProgram officers and the Consultant Dr Eric Van Praag. Pharm access was part and parcel of the whole process which was very encouraging to PRINMAT members and was highly appreciated by theMwanza Regional Medical Officer. It was observed and appreciated by members of PRINMAT that Pharmaccess was one of the best partners who were working with concern to the local Partners and to community members. We feel indebted to Pharmaccess and the only way we can return this, is to work effectively and maintain good working environment to achieve the intended objectives of quality at PRINMAT Maternity homes which are already in the project and those which will be in the project later on, this project may influence the whole of PRINMAT facilities to provide the quality service and environment that is desired by Safe Care Program.

During the activity, PRINMAT members had invited community members around Mahina Kati area to come for free services on the day. (10th March 2017).

Numerous Community members attended services; all the Lake Zone nurses were well equipped to provide all day services at Muse as was needed by Community members.

Services that were provided on the day of Muse Maternity Home launch and number of clients that attended;

The Guest of Honor in launching new Muse Maternity Home at Mahina Kati, Mwanza

The renovation of Muse Maternity Home cost was reported to be 82 million shillings which Mariam Sangizyo, the Nurse Midwife (Nursing Officer) had got from her retirement from public services at Bugando Medical Center. She had a small Maternity Home before, which contained just few rooms. After having got the experience of running a Maternity Home as a nurse while still working at Bugando, she found that she could run a better and bigger facility, thus, she utilized her retirement money to construct the new one which was the one launched on 10th March 2017 by the Mwanza Regional Commissioner Dr. Leonard Subi on behalf of Mwanza Regional Commissioner Hon. John Mongera.

1. Dr. Leonard Subi

The RMO gave an excellent speech while pointing out that if midwives could increase the number of Maternity Homes; work appropriately to serve pregnant women by identifying any problems; ensuring good screening during ante ante natal is done;referring those complications on time, and if they would conduct deliveriesto all normal cases in a skillful professional way, then Maternal Mortality in Mwanzaregion could be reduced. He informed that Mwanza region had high Maternal Deaths and the only way to reduce the rate is put midwives to task instead of basing on Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs).

This was an excellent view and a vision that PRINMAT wishes to achieve: However, it will only be achieved if Government and public health sector provides full support and collaboration with Private Midwives; minimize bottlenecks to private sector health facilities and strengthen the Public Private Partnership spirit.

Dr. Subi congratulated PRINMAT and who ever took the initiative to start such an endeavor which if appropriately utilized would be the best way to improve maternal health care in the country. The RMO agreed with PRINMAT Chairperson Speech which had earlier pointed out that the Government alone cannot reach every pregnant woman in thecountry and therefore it was important to work with organizations like PRINMATand others which are all composed of midwives who could be well distributed to reach far in the country.

Dr. Subi was surprised to realize such big efforts that were put by PRINMAT nurses in running their Maternity Homes, this was real innovation and and a sign of love for one’s own country and the people. He congratulated Mariam Sangizyo, the Manager to this facility for utilizing her retirement money to benefit community members and indeed Tanzanian community. The RMO thanked Pharmaccess Foundation for giving equipment to PRINMAT and added that this was not only to PRINMAT but to Tanzania as a country to improve Maternal Newborn and Child Health. He sensitized Mwanza CHMT to cooperate and work with PRINMAT at all steps as they struggle to open more Maternity Homes in Mwanza so as to increase coverage and reach more mothers. He also urged Nurses and Midwives in Mwanza region to open Maternity Homes to cover all those villages which are far from district hospitals so that women and children can be attended professionally. The RMO said that we did not need to open these facilities in town since there are already enough facilities and Doctors in town and urban areas; rather, we need midwives at community settings for care of normal cases and quick referral of complicationsto save those who could have lost lives. Dr. Subi finalized by officially inaugurating the new building as seen in the photo above.

Dr. LeanardSubi, Guest Honor giving speech

1. PHARMACCESS REPRESENTATIVE

Ms. Ingrid, the technical Director explained about the Safe Care project and that ther organization was also impressed by the work done by PRINMAT for Maternal Health care, and that her organization had started working with PRINMAT for a year now in Lake Zone; she pointed that the facilities had improved with Safe care projects and the reports from PRINMAT were very impressive, that meant that PRINMAT was doing good work both administratively and implantation at facility level. Together with PRINMAT they had realized the shortage and problems in getting working equipment, so Pharmaccess had agreed to support PRINMAT with some very important and modern equipment in maternal health care. These equipment were to be given (as donation) on that day. Even though all facilities did not get the equipment, but those which were provided with equipment got very essential equipments. Mentioning a few; such were, Delivery bed, Doppler machines, Auto clave machines, Examination couch, delivery kits etc. Total cost of the equipment provided was 20 million in Tanzania shillings.

PRINMAT chairperson and Dr. Leonard Subi thanked Pharm access very much for this kind donation, this Dr. subi farther said that this was not only for PRINMAT but for Tanzania.

Ms. INGRID- PHARM ACCESS FOUNDATION Representative

1. THE REGIONAL NURSING OFFICER

Ms. Agnes Hassan, Mwanza region RNO encouraged PRINMAT nurses to work hard and diligently to the scope of the nurse and midwife. She ensured them that registration process would not be a problem if all the procedures and steps will be followed. THE RNO assured the nurses in Mwanza region not to fear the procedures for registration but they should only follow them as prescribed. The process will not take long because the services that are provided by PRINMAT are needed by the community and by the Health Ministry. Sr. Agnes congratulated Mariam Sangizyo for the work well done.

RNO MWANZA-MS. Agnes Hassan

1. MARIAM SANGIZYO- THE CLINIC MANAGER

Ms. Sangizyo gave her very sincere gratitude to PRINMAT as an organization, the Chairperson PRINMAT, Lake Zone, Council Health Management Team CHMT) and to Pharmaccess Foundation. She also gave sincere thanks to all community members who had attended the day by coming for services which were provided freely on that day, she was happy and thanked very much the Regional Medical Officer for accepting to be the Guest of Honor during this celebration at her facility. This was the day she was most delighted to see. Mariam was very thankful for equipments that were provided to her and other facilities.

She gave brief information about her interest in doing midwifery work after her retirement and had high hopes that this work would make her happier than retiring to stay at home or opening a simple DUKA LA DAWA. She asked Donors and peoplewith good will to support PRINMAT and make it grow for the benefit of Tanzanian community women and children. In this aspect she called more organizations and Donors to support and work with PRINMAT as Pharm access is effectively doing.

MUSE MANAGER- MS. Mariam Nsangizyo

1. PRINMAT CHAIRPERSON – Ms. KeziahKapesa

Chairperson gave a welcoming speech to the audience and to the Guest of Honor, the PRINMAT Chairperson welcomed the Regional Medical Officer who was the Guest of Honor on Behalf of the Regional Commissioner, she said that for PRINMAT, this was a big sensitization event and for the Regional Government to get involved was a great success to Private Nurses and Midwives and made the nurses feel recognized in their work and so indebted to work better and provide desired nursing and midwifery care according to their ethics. She briefly gave history of PRINMAT.

The PRINMAT Chairperson thanked RMO and RNO for having joined the event. She congratulated PRINMAT Lake Zone members for the solidarity that brought this event taking place; she congratulated MariamSangizyo for reconstructing the Maternity Home to make it look better and bigger than before. Ms. Kapesa as the overseer of PRINMAT activities assured the Guest of Honor that PRINMAT will continue to provide effective, quality and appropriate reproductive, maternal newborn and child health to the best their ability. PRINMAT is still on the move to sensitize more nurses and midwives to open more facilities for the benefit of community members particularly to achieve their organizational goal which is INCREASING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE, MATERNAL, NEWBORN AND CHILD HEALTH. She sincerely thanked Pharmaccess foundation for their great support both financial, material and capacity building for PRINMAT facilities in Lake Zone. During this event 13 PRINMAT facilities were provided with equipments to improve services. She urged for more collaboration with other organizations and asked the Regional Health Team to cooperate with PRINMAT facilities in Lake Zone; the government to kindly provide a good working environment for each of the private nurses and midwives so as to make their work easy and make them feel good to serve the community.

There are number of challenges in doing this work. PRINMAT is serving low income population, if PRINMAT nurses get good cooperation from the government and a good working environment maintained, their work could complement the government very well and expand services to mothers and children including access to programs like PMTCT, Family planning and Youth Friendly services in this country. It has always been observed and indeed known even if not publicized that the ion government alone will not reach every citizen with health services, thus; collaboration is needed to expand health services in particular Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

PRINMAT CHAIRPERSON- Ms. KeziahKapesa

1. CONCLUSION

The health demand is still big in our country, there is no easy way for the government alone to reach all its people, efforts from NGOs, Faith Based Organizations and other private health sector partners are needed to complement government efforts. There is need for harmony and friendly working relationship that will encourage each partner to make a team in health care that is geared towards better health services to the community both urban, semi urban and rural. All we need is good planning and friendly policies in place to locate who should be here and who else should be there.