By A Special Correspondent
Nearly 150 expectant mothers seek care at Ubungo District Hospital every month during the low season, with about half requiring surgical intervention, highlighting the pressure facing maternal health services at the facility.
It is against this backdrop that employees of Yas Tanzania have stepped in to support the hospital through an employee-driven initiative aimed at improving the environment and resources available to pregnant women and new mothers.
Through the Tumaini Campaign, Yas employees have donated maternity supplies and medical equipment to Ubungo District Hospital, including maternity kits, khangas, maternity examination beds, bedsheets, aprons and wheelchairs.
The intervention is intended to provide the hospital with additional resources as it continues to attend to a substantial number of women seeking antenatal, delivery and other maternal health services.
Ubungo District Hospital Medical Officer in Charge, Dr Chrispin Kayola, said the equipment would strengthen the facility’s ability to respond to the needs of pregnant women and mothers, particularly given the volume of patients requiring care.
“We receive nearly 150 expectant mothers a month during a low season such as this, and about half of them require surgical care. This equipment is therefore very important to our hospital and will give our healthcare workers additional resources to support mothers,” Dr Kayola said.
Beyond the value of the equipment itself, the initiative represents an approach to corporate social responsibility in which employees are directly involved in identifying and responding to community needs.
Yas Tanzania Chief Human Resources Officer Caroline Kavishe said Tumaini was initiated by employees who wanted their contribution to extend beyond their professional responsibilities.
“Tumaini is driven by our employees, who have chosen to stand with expectant mothers during one of the most important moments in their lives. We want our people to be proud not only of the work they do, but also of the difference they can make in their communities,” she said.
The focus on maternal care was prompted by the challenges women can face during pregnancy and childbirth, according to Yas Tanzania External Affairs Manager for Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, Rukia Mtingwa.
“Every mother who goes to hospital to give birth hopes to deliver safely, hold her baby in her arms and return home. We asked ourselves what we could do to support that journey, and that is why our employees came together and started the Tumaini campaign,” Ms Mtingwa said.
The campaign also reflects a broader view of corporate responsibility at Yas, where community engagement is being linked to the company’s wider role in society.
Ms Mtingwa said the company’s contribution to communities should go beyond providing telecommunications and technology services.
“When we talk about Mtandao wa Viwango, it is not only about mobile services, internet and technology. It is also about the standards we set in how we contribute to the communities we serve,” she said.
The Tumaini Campaign is expected to expand beyond Ubungo to other parts of Tanzania, giving more Yas employees an opportunity to participate in community initiatives and extending support to expectant mothers and other groups in need. For Ubungo District Hospital, however, the immediate significance is practical: additional equipment and supplies that can help healthcare workers serve mothers in a facility already dealing with a substantial maternal-care workload.
