Tanzania doctors begin medical outreach in Comoros
COMOROS: ABOUT 50 Tanzanian medical experts in various specialties have arrived in Comoros for a week-long medical camp aimed at providing specialised health services and strengthening regional medical cooperation.
The outreach follows a request made by the Comorian government to President Samia Suluhu Hassan during her visit to the island nation earlier this year, when Comoros marked its 50th anniversary of independence.
The visiting team comprises specialists from the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) and Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma, alongside officials from the Medical Stores Department (MSD).
According to Ms Asha Mahita, Coordinator of Medical Tourism at the Ministry of Health, the mission is part of the government’s Samia Outreach Programme, which promotes Tanzania’s growing medical capacity and regional health diplomacy.
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“We are going to Comoros to fulfil a promise made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan during her visit to the country. When our doctors visited last December, they treated 2,700 citizens, of whom 271 were referred to Tanzania for further treatment. The response was overwhelming and the President of Comoros requested another medical mission,” Mahita said.
She explained that the outreach programme has already toured several Tanzanian regions and is now extending beyond the country’s borders to nations such as Comoros, Malawi, Congo and Burundi.
“The goal is to showcase the massive investment made by the Sixth-Phase Government in health infrastructure, human resources and medical technology. Tanzania is now a regional hub for advanced medical care,” she added.
Mahita said the current mission includes doctors, laboratory specialists and nurses who will offer diverse health services. Patients requiring further treatment will be referred to Tanzania—bringing in foreign revenue and boosting medical tourism as part of President Samia’s broader health diplomacy initiative.
“Our strategy is to expand medical treatment and outreach to more African countries, including Central Africa, the DRC and the Seychelles Islands. This is in line with President Samia’s vision to strengthen diplomacy through health partnerships,” Mahita explained.
Dr Diwani Msemo, Executive Director of the Ocean Road Cancer Institute, said Tanzania’s medical progress is positioning the country as a leading destination for specialised healthcare in subSaharan Africa.
“Excluding South Africa, Ocean Road is now the best cancer treatment centre in this region. This achievement is due to the government’s significant investment under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who endorsed 40bn/- into infrastructure, modern equipment and specialist training,” he said.
Dr Msemo added that Ocean Road has expanded its reach by taking cancer treatment services closer to patients across Tanzania, enabling early detection and affordable care.
