Dar es Salaam — THE government is planning a major transformation of the health sector through the construction of a new Muhimbili National Hospital worth 1.2tri/-, designed to deliver specialist and super-specialist healthcare services in line with international standards.
Health Minister Mr Mohamed Mchengerwa told the National Assembly yesterday, while presenting his budget estimates for 2026/27 financial year, that the project also aims to strengthen medical tourism and improve services for both local and foreign patients.
He said the government is undertaking the five-year project following an assessment of services at Muhimbili National Hospital, which identified several challenges, including ageing infrastructure, a scattered layout of buildings, high operational and maintenance costs, and an environment that limits the adoption of advanced medical technologies.
"The construction of the new Muhimbili will reduce referrals abroad, expand treatment areas, shorten patient waiting times, improve working conditions for staff, generate foreign exchange earnings, and strengthen the national economy," the minister said.
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He added that out of the 1.2tri/- required, 908.6bn/- will be financed through concessional loans, while 292bn/- will be contributed by the government.
"The government's contribution will largely cover site preparation costs, tax exemptions, duties, and levies on imported materials and equipment required for project implementation," he told the House.
Mr Mchengerwa further said the government initiated the project after conducting a comparative assessment involving 16 hospital projects in 15 countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia, examining factors such as hospital size, construction cost per square metre, expected service standards, and year of construction.
He said the findings showed that the new Muhimbili project is relatively costeffective compared to similar facilities.
Among the projects reviewed, Muhimbili has the largest construction area at 115,000 square metres, while construction costs in the compared countries range between 3,000 and 7,000 US dollars per square metre.
He said the new Muhimbili project will cost 1,819 US dollars per square metre, meaning Tanzania will spend on average 42 per cent less compared to countries where costs are significantly higher.
"The country is therefore set to obtain a large modern hospital at a relatively low cost, demonstrating prudent investment and value for public money," he said.
On service delivery, Mr Mchengerwa said Muhimbili National Hospital-Mloganzila continued to record an increase in patient numbers between July 2025 and March 2026, compared to the previous year.
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During the period, the hospital treated 229,281 patients, including 215,295 outpatients and 13,986 inpatients.
He said the hospital continued to provide super-specialist services, including kidney transplants for nine patients, bringing the total number to 24 since the service was introduced in 2023.
He noted that the cost of kidney transplantation locally is 37m/- per patient, compared to an average of 120m/- if undertaken abroad.
Mr Mchengerwa also said the hospital performed gastric balloon procedures on nine patients, bringing the cumulative total to 192 since the service began in 2022.
The procedure costs 5.5m/- locally compared to about 26.57m/- abroad.
He added that dental implant services were provided to 26 patients, raising the total number of beneficiaries to 55 since 2024/2025.
In addition, knee and hip replacement surgeries were performed on 58 patients, reconstructive surgery on four patients, and bariatric surgery on three patients.
In advancing the country's medical tourism drive, the minister said the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) played a key role by treating 234 foreign patients.
He said the patients came from Mozambique, Egypt, Comoros, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi.
He further noted that the institute has also strengthened cardiac care capacity in Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia through skills transfer programmes.
Mr Mchengerwa said 3,163 other patients were treated in their respective countries under JKCI outreach programmes in Comoros and Zambia.
