If you need everything to tangle into a single file, you can use this incredibly hacky workaround that uses orgmode to turn a table into generated code in a second (or third!) language.
Your table (1):
#+tblname: personae-table
| Set | Description | variable | Value |
|-----+--------------------+----------+-------|
| DEP | Fam Med Department | famDep | 23 |
Your code generator (2):
#+name: python-generate-new-and-set-vars-blocks
#+BEGIN_SRC python :var records=personae-table :exports results :results output verbatim drawer
print("#+name: variables")
print("#+BEGIN_SRC mumps")
print("n " + ",".join(line[3] for line in records))
print("s " +
",".join(
"{}={}".format([line[2], str(line[3])]) for line in records))
print()
print("#+END_SRC")
#+END_SRC
Your generator's results (3):
#+results: python-generate-new-and-set-vars-blocks
:RESULTS:
#+name: variables
#+BEGIN_SRC mumps
n famDep
s famDep=23
#+END_SRC
:END:
Your dummy block that pre-compiles the blocks to tangle (4):
#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp :tangle yes :var DUMMY=(progn (org-babel-goto-named-src-block "python-generate-new-and-set-vars-blocks") (org-ctrl-c-ctrl-c))
; run pre-tangle hooks by putting them in the var.
#+END_SRC
Your output block that tangles the generated code (5):
#+BEGIN_SRC mumps :tangle fixed.m :noweb tangle :padline no
run()
<<variables>>
#+END_SRC
Execution goes 4, 1, 2, 3, 5. I'm not sure if I should be proud or ashamed. Orgmode is amazing.