Tanzania: Investments Have Turned Tanzania Into Hub of Medical Tourism

 ANZANIA has made tremendous progress in the health sector resulting to improved healthcare services as well as positioning the country as a hub for medical tourism.

This is the result of huge investments in the country's health sector that have helped enhance availability of not only routine health services but also specialised healthcare services. In the past five years, for example, the government has spent 3.01tri/- to finance health services with major funding devoted to the construction of 198 new dispensaries and repairing 487 health centres.

Maintenance was undertaken on 69 district hospitals and 10 regional referral hospitals during the past five years. The country's quest to increase investment in healthcare aimed at providing high quality as well as enhanced accessibility of services to the population.

Investments in specialised services have reduced the number of patients seeking medical treatment abroad at exorbitant costs by over 95 per cent from between 200 and 300 patients annually to less than 60.

Government efforts to increase investment in the health sector have eventually made the nation attract patients from neighbouring countries. Some of the neighbouring countries whose patients come to Tanzania for various health services are Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Comoro, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Burundi.

Medical tourism gives patients access to instant medical care with a short to zero waiting period. There is a growing recognition that achieving good health in a community requires much more than effective medical services.

Medical tourism serves as a timely and effective solution to patients whose health condition requires immediate attention and who aren't able to receive such medical care in their domestic hospitals.

This form of tourism involves the individuals to travel to different places, where they are able to pursue activities that render a significant contribution in the maintenance and improvement of their health conditions and well-being.

Another important milestone that will make medical tourism yield more benefits is the ongoing initiative where Tanzania is seeking global accreditation for its top-notch health facilities. This will be made possible through establishment of hospital and healthcare accreditation board that will help hospitals earn trust from people within and outside the country who seek high standard health services.

Therefore, to maintain high quality and reliable health services calls for joint efforts from both public and private sector that would ultimately benefit the whole population in the country