Restoration of Health Services in Tigray Progressing: Ministry of Health

AddIS Ababa February 12/2013 (ENA) Restoration of health services in Tigray region is progressing with increasing number of health facilities functioning fully or partially and commencing their routine activities, according to Ministry of Health.

To facilitate this, the Ministry is working with Tigray Region Health bureau, other sectors and partners.

The Ethiopian Pharmaceutical supply agency branches in Mekelle and Shire are fully operational, it said.

The ministry is also working to ensure the distribution of the needed medicine and supplies for health facilities to be able to provide the needed services.

The blood banks in the region have also been made operational to avail blood stocks to health facilities and the National Blood Bank is supplying to fill any gaps, it added.

The Ministry further noted that so far, the number of health facilities confirmed to have resumed their services while medicines and supplies delivered has reached 88 in all five zones of Tigray.

Out of the total 40 hospitals, 15 hospitals are currently functioning at full capacity and 5 are providing services partially, while 68 health centers out of 224 are fully operational, it was learned.

The ministry, agencies and the regional health bureau are working intensively with other sectors and partners to make the rest of the health facilities operational as soon as possible to provide the needed services to the community.