Benjamin Mkapa Hospital Leads Tanzania’s Medical Tourism Initiative Through Malawi Partnership

Dodoma – Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) has become the first medical facility in Tanzania to implement the country’s 2026 foreign policy on medical tourism, following a groundbreaking partnership with the government of Malawi.

Malawi’s Minister of Health and Sanitation, Madalitso Baloyi, and her delegation commenced a two-day working visit to BMH on Friday, January 16, pledging collaboration between Tanzania and Malawi on specialized health services.

During the facility tour, the minister emphasized the importance of fostering medical tourism, revealing a substantial backlog of patients in Malawi who will now be referred to BMH for specialized and super-specialized medical services. This arrangement is expected to reduce treatment costs and strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.

"In previous years we were referring our patients to India and other European countries, but with this partnership, we will now be bringing them to BMH to access similar services at a more affordable cost," she stated.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, while addressing diplomats at Chamwino State House on Thursday, invited the diplomatic community to engage in medical diplomacy, supporting Tanzania’s ambitions to become a regional hub for specialized care.

The President highlighted that medical tourism represents a core pillar of the government’s 2026 foreign policy, with plans to leverage the reputation of medical institutions to attract both medical and sustainable tourism.

The Malawi Health Minister expressed her government’s strong interest in the quality services offered at BMH, particularly the digital health system. "We equally want to leverage the short distance here in Tanzania so that we can access specialized facilities and reduce the cost of referrals to other countries," she explained.

In December, Malawi and BMH launched expanded collaborations through the Ministry of Health, focusing on improving specialized medical services, professional training, and research to benefit citizens of both countries.

This initiative followed preliminary discussions led by BMH’s Executive Director, Prof Abel Makubi, with Malawi’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Dan Namarika, coordinated by Tanzania’s ambassador to Malawi, Agnes Kayora.

Following the partnership agreement, BMH specialists visited four hospitals in Malawi: Kamuzu Hospital in Lilongwe, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, Zomba, and Mzuzu.

Prof Makubi outlined that BMH will support medical tourism, build professional capacity through training and medical camps, and collaborate on experience and research exchange. He invited other countries in the East, Central, and Southern African region to access specialized services at BMH, assuring that the hospital operates according to quality and international standards.