BMH@10: A decade of healing and hope

Dodoma: The government’s investment of approximately 230bn/- in infrastructure and equipment at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) in Dodoma has significantly improved the facility’s services and earned it international recognition within just a decade.

This was revealed on Monday in Dodoma during the hospital’s 10th-anniversary celebrations, which, according to BMH Executive Director Prof Abel Makubi, will run for four months and include free health services for citizens, such as medical checkups.

Addressing the public at Nyerere Square in the capital city center, Prof Makubi said the hospital has gained international recognition due to its provision of specialized and super-specialized healthcare services.

“In a decade, we have achieved so much, but one of the most notable milestones is our ability to provide specialized and super-specialized healthcare services. We have successfully performed kidney and bone marrow transplants on 21 children diagnosed with sickle cell disease, marking a transformational moment in the country’s healthcare journey,” Prof Makubi stated.

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He expressed his gratitude to the government, noting that 75 percent of the treatment costs for the 21 children were covered by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

“We are also proud of the services we offer at BMH. We have improved our customer service desk, reduced waiting times for patients, and enhanced the availability of medicine and medical equipment. This is why we were named the best zonal hospital,” he added.

Reflecting on the hospital’s early days, Prof Makubi noted that in 2015, BMH received only 50 to 80 patients per day. Today, the hospital attends to between 1,000 and 1,200 patients daily.

Looking ahead, he pledged to continue working closely with the government to promote medical tourism by expanding infrastructure and improving healthcare services.

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Welcoming Dodoma Regional Commissioner Ms Rosemary Senyamule to the event, the Regional Administrative Secretary, Dr Khatib Kazungu, urged the BMH management to collaborate with his office to realize the hospital’s ambitions in medical tourism.

In her remarks, the Regional Commissioner commended the hospital’s achievements, saying BMH has significantly contributed to the implementation of national plans related to medical tourism.

“Through BMH, the government has saved a considerable amount of money that would have otherwise been spent on treatment abroad,” she noted.

She also highlighted the benefits of regular medical camps conducted by the hospital, citing the recent free eye checkup as an example.

BMH has been actively promoting medical tourism by showcasing its specialized and super-specialized services to other African countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Comoros as well as to international audiences in Turkey, the United States, the Netherlands, Austria, and Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait.

From 2021 to 2025, the hospital, which is now on the verge of becoming a national hospital, has conducted a total of 72 outreach programs across various regions, including Dodoma, Tanga, Katavi, Manyara, Iringa, Njombe, Tabora, and Zanzibar, serving a total of 18,580 patients.