TANZANIA Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) Central Zone has donated assorted medicines worth over 12m/- to Iringa Regional Prisons Service to support healthcare facilities to enhance wellbeing of inmates and prison staff.

The handover ceremony took place on Thursday when TMDA Central Zone Manager, Sonia Mkumbwa confirmed that the medicines were sourced from various locations within Iringa Region. She assured the public that the medicines meet the required quality and safety standards for human use.

She said the donation is part of continued efforts to improve healthcare delivery across all sectors, particularly in facilities that serve vulnerable populations such as inmates. The donated medicines will be used in prison healthcare centres to enhance the medical services provided to both prisoners and prison officers.

“Our core mandate at TMDA is to safeguard public health by ensuring that medicines, medical devices, and diagnostics available in the country comply with the established standards of quality, safety, and efficacy. This donation is part of our ongoing efforts to prevent health risks associated with substandard or unsafe products,” she said.

She also elaborated on the regulatory processes TMDA follows, including routine inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and medicine distribution outlets to ensure full compliance with the Medicines and Medical Devices Act, Cap 219 of 2003. 

She highlighted that during the 2024/25 financial year, the TMDA Central Zone had removed from the market a range of medicines that, while still safe and of high quality, were found to be stored in unauthorized facilities, violating the regulatory guidelines.

“The withdrawal of the medicines was not due to concerns about their quality, but rather because they had been stored in conditions that did not meet the prescribed standards. After thorough assessments, we determined that they were still suitable for use, and have now donated them to healthcare facilities within the prison service to assist in patient care,” she said.

Iringa Regional Prisons Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Prisons Ackles Haule, thanked TMDA for the generous contribution. 

He assured that the donated medicines would be used appropriately to enhance the quality of healthcare provided to both prisoners and staff members in the region.

“We are truly thankful to TMDA for this donation, which comes at a time when it is needed the most. The medicines will go a long way in improving the health services for both our inmates and officers,” he said.

Iringa Regional Prison Service oversees several healthcare facilities that cater to the medical needs of over 1,000 inmates, as well as prison staff.