African Barrick Gold plc ("ABG") supports training of medical students at Bugando through the ABG Maendeleo Fund

The doctor-in-charge of the Sengerema designated district hospital, Sister Dr. Marie Jose, speaks at the launch of the "Treat & Train" programme in Sengerema district, Mwanza region, recently. African Barrick Gold (ABG) has donated $130,000 to expand access to healthcare in the Lake Zone regions of Tanzania. 

 A section of students from the Bugando Medical Centre who are studying to become Assistant Medical Officers (in white coats) listen to proceedings at the launch of the "Treat & Train" programme. African Barrick Gold (ABG) has donated $130,000 to expand access to healthcare in the Lake Zone regions of Tanzania.

 - Donation of US$130,000 to expand access to healthcare in the Lake Zone

DAR ES SALAAM, (November 20, 2012) – African Barrick Gold (ABG) has partnered with the Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), the Catholic University College of Health Sciences (CUHAS) and the Touch Foundation to increase access to healthcare for thousands of patients in Tanzania’s Lake Zone through the training of medical students.

Healthcare delivery and patient access to medical care in the densely-populated Lake Zone area is amongst the worst in Tanzania, which has an average of only one doctor for every 20,000 people.

ABG has thus donated US$130,000 (approximately 200 million Tanzanian shillings), through the ABG Maendeleo Fund, to the training programme developed by BMC, CUHAS and the Touch Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving access to quality, basic healthcare and training healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa.

“ABG is pleased to work with CUHAS, BMC and the Touch Foundation to support the training of medical students and to improve access to medical care in the Lake Zone,” said Deo Mwanyika, Vice President Corporate Affairs

The Treat & Train programme, an innovative and cost-effective care and treatment programme, brings paediatric, surgery, internal medicine and obstetrics/gynecology specialists to help train students and to treat patients in the Lake Zone, thereby increasing access to medical care in rural areas.  Senior Vice President to Touch Dr. Steve Justus notes, “the Treat & Train program will also have the added benefit of helping doctors and specialists feel part of an integrated system and improve referrals throughout the Lake Zone, thereby increasing retention of healthcare workers in the Lake Zone.”

In collaboration with public and private partners, the Touch Foundation has been working with BMC and CUHAS since 2004 to train hundreds of new healthcare workers, including urgently-needed doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians.

ABG’s donation benefits medical students and thousands of patients in the Lake Zone regions, who usually have to travel for long distances to access medical services.

The programme works by pooling and rotating cross-disciplinary, highly trained clinical teams to rural facilities throughout western Tanzania.

The innovative system, which also supports rotations of assistant medical officer students and medical students from BMC and CUHAS, respectively, and overseen by posted specialists and rotating CUHAS faculty, gives rural patients increased access to skilled health workers.