he condition of the recently kidnapped leader of the striking doctors in the country, Dr Stephen Ulimboka is said to be improving though he is still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Dr Ulimboka, who is admitted at a hospital in Johannesburg South Africa, was at the weekend reported to be in coma.
Secretary General of the Medical
Association of Tanzania (MAT), Dr Edwin Chitage told The Guardian that
they are waiting for the medical report from his doctor. He said that Dr
Ulimboka is still in the ICU because he needs close monitoring.
“We are waiting for the doctor’s report to
establish the exact health complications facing Dr Ulimboka for now,
but he is generally doing well contrary to recent media reports that he
was in a state of coma,” he noted.
According to him, the doctor could only release the medical report once permitted by the patient.
Dr Ulimboka was last month found badly
injured at Pande Forest on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam after being
kidnapped by people who have not yet been identified.
Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police
Commander Sulemani Kova speaking about the hijack said Dr Ulimboka was
found seriously wounded in the forest at on the very night he was
kidnapped.
He sustained serious wounds apparently
from the heavy beatings he received from the armed attackers, who took
him from the Leaders Club at around 11pm.
Commander Kova said the police force has
formed a probe team to investigate the attack led by Head of Dar es
Salaam Special Criminal Police Zone, ASP Msangi.
However, the doctors refused to recognise any investigation carried by the police force, instead preferring an independent team.
On Saturday, a section of religious
leaders issued five conditions to the government they deem could give a
clue to ending the two-week doctors’ strike that has severely hampered
medical services in the country.
The announced conditions include
withdrawal of the pending lawsuit on the strike filed by the government
at the High Court, reinstating all sacked doctors and resumption of
negotiations between the government and the doctors under the
chairmanship of President Jakaya Kikwete.
Other conditions include involving
religious leaders as well as those of activists in the resumed
negotiations, give doctors’ security assurance and establsih an
independent commission of inquiry to investigate the kidnapping and
beating up of Dr Steven Ulimboka.
Speaking at the media briefing, Muslim
Communication Council director Chifu Msopa, insisted that suspending
doctors is not a solution to the prevailing problems in the health
field, saying the government spends huge sums of money to train the
medical doctors.
He therefore argued that it was the President’s responsibility to listen to the doctors.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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