The initiative is aimed at attracting patients from across Africa and beyond, boosting foreign exchange earnings through medical tourism, and reducing the number of Tanzanians who travel overseas for specialized treatment.
Chief Government Spokesperson and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Gerson Msigwa, said the government would continue investing heavily in healthcare infrastructure, advanced medical technology, digital health systems, and workforce development to strengthen the hospital's position as a regional centre of excellence.
Speaking in Dodoma while highlighting achievements of government development projects, Msigwa said public investment totaling 283 billion Tanzanian shillings had transformed Benjamin Mkapa Hospital from a newly established facility in 2015 into one of the country's leading referral hospitals offering specialist and super-specialist healthcare services.
According to him, the investment has expanded access to advanced medical care, improved treatment outcomes, and strengthened Tanzania's capacity to deliver services that previously required patients to seek care abroad.
"It is no secret that India has made enormous progress by investing in specialised healthcare, attracting patients from many countries, including Tanzania. Our goal is to strengthen specialist and super-specialist services so that Tanzanians receive quality treatment at home while international patients come here, receive treatment and pay for the services. That is medical tourism," Mr. Msigwa said.
He explained that the proposed Medical Tourism Village would build on the hospital's growing capabilities by combining specialized healthcare, medical education, and related support services into a comprehensive healthcare destination capable of serving both local and international patients.
Among the hospital's recent milestones is the establishment of the Royal International Clinic, which has continued to strengthen Tanzania's appeal as an emerging medical tourism destination. Since opening on July 10 last year, the clinic has served more than 18,607 patients, including 390 international clients, while introducing comprehensive Master Health Check-up services.
The government is also implementing several major expansion projects at the hospital. These include the construction of a 32 billion Tanzanian shilling Cancer Centre and a 44.9 billion Tanzanian shilling Kidney Treatment Centre, funded jointly by the Government of Tanzania and the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Msigwa disclosed that additional plans include establishing a Bone Marrow Transplant Centre of Excellence as well as the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital Health Training Institute, which will provide diploma-level medical education to help address the country's growing demand for skilled healthcare professionals.
He noted that sustained government investment has significantly expanded the hospital's workforce, which has grown from just 20 employees in 2015 to 1,076 staff members in 2026, including more than 100 specialist and super-specialist doctors.
"The hospital now offers 20 specialist and 18 super-specialist services, including kidney transplantation, bone marrow transplantation for children with sickle cell disease, open-heart surgery, cardiac catheterisation, neurosurgery, minimally invasive surgery, hip and knee replacement, advanced radiology and dialysis," he added.
According to Msigwa, the availability of these advanced medical services has sharply reduced the number of Tanzanians referred abroad for treatment, helping the government save public resources while positioning the hospital to receive more international patients.
Hospital records show that Benjamin Mkapa Hospital has so far provided treatment to 2,897 patients from Burundi, 526 from Comoros, as well as patients from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and several other East and Central African countries.
Msigwa said the continued expansion of the hospital reflects President Samia Suluhu Hassan's commitment to strengthening Tanzania's healthcare system and positioning the country as one of Africa's emerging destinations for high-quality specialized healthcare and medical tourism.