THE government is in the final stages of completing the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Referral Hospital, whose construction began in 1975 at Kwangwa in Musoma municipality.

Once complete, the facility will be a modern referral hospital, featuring a dedicated helipad.

The hospital began offering services on July 1st, 2023, even as some infrastructure works continue. Since then, it has significantly reduced patient referrals from the Mara Region to Bugando Zonal Hospital in Mwanza by 70percent.

Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday during a Government Communication Department briefing on the achievements of the Sixth Phase Government, Mara Regional Commissioner Colonel Evans Mtambi said construction is currently 70percent complete and is expected to be fully finalised within the next two years.

He noted that the hospital is equipped with high-capacity medical machinery and that major electrical upgrades are underway, being implemented by the Tanzania Electrical and Mechanical Services Agency (TEMESA).

In addition, the facility has already begun offering specialised medical services, including the production of medical oxygen to support in-house treatment and supply neighbouring health centres.

Col. Mtambi also highlighted that ongoing improvements in the health sector have enabled specialist services to be delivered at district level, reducing the average travel distance for patients from 15 kilometres in 2020 to just 5 kilometres by 2025.

Beyond the healthcare sector, he revealed that by 30th June 2025, the government will have disbursed 1.3trn/- towards development projects, which have significantly improved service delivery to the public.

Commenting on recent incidents of youths storming and looting stones from the Barrick North Mara Mine, Colonel Mtambi said the situation has now been brought under control.

He credited the improvement to government action, including the issuance of small-scale mining licences—particularly targeting young people.

Meanwhile, Simiyu Regional Commissioner Anamringi Macha reported that the region has received over 1.1trn/- to implement various development projects, including significant investment in the health sector.

He noted that of this amount, 63.75bn/- was allocated to healthcare. As a result, the number of dispensaries in the region has increased from 192 in 2020 to 240 by 2025.

The construction of a regional referral hospital has also alleviated the need for patients to travel long distances to Bugando for specialised care.

Macha added that access to clean water in the region has reached 73percent, and that Simiyu now accounts for 60percent of the country's total cotton production.