When you find an Assistant Medical Officer(AMO) doing a job of a doctor[a degree holder], “that means task shifting,’’ says Professor David Mwakusya a veteran scientist and former Minister of Health, in a documentary featuring the weaknesses and strengths of AMOs in Kahama District, Shinyanga Region—that was 12 years ago.
In this video story, you will get to know the real-life challenges that the AMOs faced and why they were considered to be “life savers without thorough training.” They perform roles that they were not trained for. Despite investment in human resource for health over the years, has this reality changed?
Click to watch this video: Touch Foundation and The Doctor Shortage in Tanzania
Professor Mwakusya, says, “someone who is not a doctor…doing a job of a doctor is what has kept us a live…in the US (United States), when you feel ill, you are going to meet a doctor…in my country, that’s a luxury…a lot of people have gone to graves without meeting a doctor…so, we need doctors but we don’t really depend on them [alone]…”
Watch the video…to get the details…