Tanzania’s newly-launched ECMO system opens new chapter in critical care services

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has written a new chapter in the health sector after officially launching the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) system, a move that opens a new page in critical care services in the country and in the East African Region

Speaking at the launch of the First ECMO Conference in East Africa organized by Najmi Consultancy in collaboration with Saifee Hospital Tanzania, the Coordinator of Medical Tourism from the Ministry of Health, Dr Asha Mahita, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, said Tanzania has officially embarked on the journey of ECMO services, a move that will stimulate the development of specialist health services as well as promote medical tourism in the country.

“ECMO service is a special technology used to temporarily help patients with serious heart and lung problems, especially patients who experience heart attacks, severe pneumonia, cardiac arrest and other respiratory and circulatory system challenges” – she said Dr Mahita

In addition, the conference is described as the beginning of the ECMO training journey in Tanzania where health professionals from various areas had the opportunity to learn the use of the technology as well as how to establish its services in local hospitals.

Participants emphasized the importance of international cooperation, investment in modern infrastructure as well as continuous training to ensure that the service is available effectively.

For their part, health stakeholders who attended the conference have explained that the launch of ECMO services makes Tanzania among the countries that are starting to provide modern critical care services in the African region, while the move will help and strengthen the health system in the country, increase the quality of medical services and make Tanzania a hub for specialist health services in East Africa.

Experts from various fields who participated have agreed that ECMO will increase the capacity of critical care patients and make Tanzania a medical tourism center in East Africa, with participants announcing that the official ECMO training and program will begin soon.