DODOMA (Tanzania), Nov 2 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — TANZANIA has put up a robust investment for medical tourism in the country, whereas seven hospitals have been selected to implement the projects, Members of Parliament were informed.
Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Godwin Mollel, told the House on Thursday that, among the selected hospitals two were private medical facilities which include the Agakhan hospital and Saifee Hospital Tanzania.
Dr Mollel was responding to a question posed by Moshi Rural lawmaker, Professor Patrick Ndakidemi who wanted to know what the government was doing to introduce and boost medical tourism in the country.
“The government has invested heavily in procurement of medical equipment as well as improving medical services at different referral hospitals, what is the plan in place to strengthen medical tourism?” asked the Member of Parliament.
In response, the Deputy Minister said that the government had invested heavily in the health sector by improving medical infrastructure, training medical personnel in the levels of specialist doctors.
According to him, the government has so far selected seven hospitals which will implement medical tourism projects. Public hospitals in the project include Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) and Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH).
During his supplementary question, Prof Ndakidemi wanted to know if the government had any plans so far to put up medical tourism facilities at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which is among the main entries of tourists in the country.
Responding, Dr Mollel said that investment in medical tourism was sustainable and that referral hospitals would be constructed in all zones countrywide, adding that plans were also in place to have another huge referral facility in Kigoma region which will offer medical services including medical tourism. — NNN-DAILYNEWS
