By Special Correspondent
The Workers Compensation Fund (WCF) has donated three modern patient monitors worth more than TSh22 million to the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), in a move aimed at strengthening patient monitoring, improving clinical care and supporting efforts to enhance cancer treatment services in Tanzania.
The equipment is designed to track patients’ vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and respiratory rate. By enabling healthcare professionals to identify changes in a patient’s condition promptly, the monitors can support timely clinical decisions and improve patient safety.
Speaking during the handover, WCF Head of Communication and Public Relations Laura Kunenge said the donation reflected the fund’s recognition of ORCI’s role in providing specialised care to cancer patients across the country.
She said WCF had been collaborating with the institute to improve healthcare delivery and that the latest support was part of its continued efforts to strengthen ORCI’s capacity to serve patients.
Kunenge added that WCF would maintain its collaboration with the institute, calling on other stakeholders to contribute to strengthening Tanzania’s healthcare sector.
Equipment supports growing patient demand
Receiving the equipment, ORCI Director of Prevention Dr Crispin Kahesa thanked WCF for its support, saying the monitors would improve the observation of patients’ conditions and help healthcare workers deliver services more efficiently.
He noted that access to modern medical equipment was essential to strengthening clinical services and supporting efforts to save lives.
“I thank WCF for continuing to collaborate with ORCI and supporting the Government’s efforts to improve health services in the country,” Kahesa said. He urged other stakeholders to follow WCF’s example by working with the government in the fight against cancer and in improving access to healthcare.
Kahesa said ORCI serves more than 72,000 patients annually, including approximately 7,600 new patients who begin receiving care at the institute each year.
The patient numbers highlight the demand for specialised cancer services and the need for sustained investment in equipment, diagnostic capacity and treatment infrastructure.
ORCI has 219 beds, according to Kahesa, making the availability of equipment to monitor vital signs an important component of patient care and safety.
For a specialised institution managing a substantial patient workload, monitoring equipment can help clinicians observe changes in patients’ conditions and determine when further assessment or intervention may be necessary. Its effectiveness, however, depends on appropriate clinical protocols, trained staff, maintenance and reliable access to other essential medical supplies.
Partnerships in healthcare investment
The donation highlights the role that public institutions and other stakeholders can play in supporting specialised healthcare services. While the government remains central to healthcare provision, partnerships can help facilities acquire equipment and strengthen their ability to respond to patients’ needs.
Kahesa emphasised that cooperation between the government and stakeholders was important in increasing the availability of medical equipment and supporting national efforts to combat cancer.
For WCF, the contribution reinforces its collaboration with ORCI, while for the institute, the monitors add to the equipment available for patient care.
