Muhimbili National Hospital plans US $468M redevelopment to expand services

TANZANIA – Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) is set for a major US $468 million (1.2 trillion TZS) redevelopment to increase its bed capacity from 1,435 to 1,757.

The three-year project, funded by the Tanzanian government (US $104 million) and South Korea (US $364 million), will modernize healthcare delivery without disrupting current services.

Dr. Rachel Mhavile, MNH’s Director of Surgical Services, confirmed that agreements are being finalized.

“All procedural matters will be handled in one building, reducing delays in patient care,” she stated. MNH, Tanzania’s main referral hospital, currently has 2,043 beds: 1,435 at Muhimbili and 608 at its Mloganzila branch.

The facility treats around 4,000 patients daily, with 2,700 at the main hospital and 1,300 at Mloganzila.

Over the past four years, MNH has made significant technological advancements. A new high-capacity laboratory machine, costing 1.8 billion TZS, can process over 2,500 samples per hour, enabling faster diagnostics and early disease detection.

These improvements have supported procedures such as kidney transplants, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and bone marrow transplants.

A state-of-the-art biorepository, the first in a Tanzanian public hospital, has been set up for research and training.

The hospital also acquired an advanced interventional radiology (Angio-Suite) machine worth 2 billion TZS.

“Since its installation in 2022, 2,300 patients have been treated, benefiting from minimally invasive procedures such as blood clot removal,” Dr. Mhavile explained.

Other recent medical upgrades include a new mammography machine (1.8 billion TZS) for early breast cancer detection, benefiting 810 patients since late 2023.

A dual CT-scan machine, with 128-slice capability and costing 1.8 billion TZS, has increased daily patient capacity from 20 to over 50.

Additionally, a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine (2.6 billion TZS) has reduced scan wait times from five days to same-day results.

In September 2023, MNH launched the first public IVF center, a 1.72 billion TZS investment offering fertility treatments such as sperm and egg retrieval and embryo implantation. In its first three months, eight families accessed the service.

Advancements in treating non-communicable diseases include obesity management, where 155 patients received gastric balloons, 44 had adjustments, and 11 underwent removal.

A hyperbaric oxygen therapy unit, the first in East and Central Africa among public hospitals, was installed for 250 million TZS to treat chronic wounds and radiation damage.

Cochlear implantation surgery for children has expanded, with 54 children treated in the last four years, bringing the total beneficiaries to 88 since 2017. The program has saved 4 billion TZS in costs that would have been incurred abroad.