A Decade of Dedication
Emergency medicine in Tanzania has transformed in the decade since the first class graduated.
Today, Mfinanga serves as the Head of EMD at Muhimbili. In his role, he's seen firsthand how an emergency medicine department can positively impact the health of a community.
"Every day, we could touch the lives of mothers, fathers, children. You don't know who they will be. You could be saving the life of someone who will greatly impact the world. That is powerful," he says.
Soon after opening the department, Abbott and Tanzanian health officials saw immediate results. Within the first two years, there was a 40% decrease in mortality at Muhimbili.
As news of the new emergency medicine department and its quality of care spread throughout the region, patients from all over showed up for critical care. Each year, the EMD sees more than 50,000 patients, regardless of their ability to pay. As more patients with medical insurance came, Abbott Fund helped the hospital create a billing unit with accountants, social workers and cashiers to process insurance claims.
As a result, the EMD went from donor-funded to financially self-sustaining. To date, the emergency medicine department has generated nearly $2.5 million in surplus revenue, which allows the facility to continue to offer free or subsidized care to most patients and reinvest in strengthening broader hospital operations.
The positive impact of the MUHAS training has expanded as well. Since 2013, 88 specialist emergency physicians and more than 6,000 nurses, paramedics and other healthcare professionals have been trained by a Tanzanian-led team.
"We're not only training nurses and doctors. We are training non-medical personnel all over the country. By training all these people, we are impacting the lives of millions in our country," Mfinanga says.
Looking Ahead to the Future
Mfinanga hopes to continue expanding emergency medicine's reach to the remote areas of Tanzania, like where he grew up.
"I grew up in a rural area near Kilimanjaro. The idea of being a doctor wasn't something I thought would be possible. I hope that my work training and leading the emergency department can inspire kids like me to be the future leaders in this field," he says.
He often discusses this vision with his friend Sawe, who was the head of EMD training at MUHAS and worked at the EMD before serving in his current role as the executive director of Abbott Fund Tanzania. Over the years, the pair have worked closely to improve the quality of hospital emergency care.
Together, they founded the Emergency Medicine Association of Tanzania (EMAT), a national network of emergency medicine providers that conducts quality training and research.
Along with their classmates, who are celebrating the 10-year reunion of the first emergency medicine class in 2023, they serve as leaders in the field. Dr. Philip Koka remains at Muhimbili, working closely with Hendry and Juma in the emergency medicine department. Dr. Esmail Sangey serves as head of the emergency department at a private hospital in Dar es Salaam, and Dr. Mgalula Sifaeli practices emergency medicine in Botswana, following years at Muhimbili. Dr. Shaina Yusuf shares her emergency expertise operating a private rehabilitation facility in Tanzania. Dr. Faith Ringo emigrated to the U.S. following years of practice in Namibia.
Sadly, Dr. Upendo George, a leading pediatric emergency doctor from the class of 2013, passed away in 2020. Her legacy lives on through her classmates' ongoing commitment to improving the health of Tanzanians. You can find out more about Dr. George and her extraordinary life here.
Expanding the Impact
Based on the success of the EMD at Muhimbili, Abbott Fund opened six more emergency medicine facilities across Tanzania, in Mbeya, Arusha, Dodoma, Msoga, Tanga and Bantu Village in Mkinga, where Debora Magembe gave birth to Zalda. These emergency medicine departments span the spectrum of care across Tanzania, from the national hospital, to regional and district hospitals, to the village level.
Led by Dr. Juma Mfinanga at Muhimbili and other residency graduates, these EMDs have served more than 1.2 million patients.
And now, the Tanzania government is further broadening the impact, opening more than 100 new emergency EMDs in communities across the country.
The result is powerful: In the future, more people like Magembe will be able to seek treatment when they need it – no matter the weather.
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