Burundi turns to Benjamin Mkapa Hospital as Tanzania's medical tourism gains ground

Dodoma. Tanzania’s ambition to become a regional hub for specialised medical tourism has received fresh momentum after neighbouring countries increased demand for advanced healthcare services available in the country.

Burundi has become the second country to identify the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital as a preferred destination for treating patients requiring specialised medical care.

The announcement comes a day after a fundraising event aimed at improving treatment services for heart diseases and organ transplant procedures raised more than Sh2.2 billion.

Malawi was the first country to announce a similar arrangement after Minister for Health and Public Hygiene, Modalitso Baloyi, said in January 2026 that the country would develop a strategy to send patients to Benjamin Mkapa Hospital for treatment following her visit to the facility with a delegation on January 16, 2026.

Speaking on Friday, July 17, 2026, Burundi Ambassador to Tanzania, Leontine Nzeyimana, said her government was satisfied with the quality of services provided at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, including heart treatment offered to Burundian children.

Ambassador Nzeyimana said the hospital’s medical capacity was beyond doubt, adding that she had witnessed the quality of care through visits and testimonies from parents whose children are still receiving treatment.

The Government of Burundi has referred six children to Benjamin Mkapa Hospital for heart treatment. Three have already undergone medical procedures and are expected to be discharged once their health improves, while the remaining patients are still undergoing treatment.

“Tanzania and Burundi are not just neighbours; we are blood relatives. People should understand that. That is why last year, when you came to provide services, our citizens were very emotional after your departure because they feared losing access to such important medical care,” Ambassador Nzeyimana said.

Benjamin Mkapa Hospital Director General, Professor Abel Makubi, said the arrival of patients from Burundi followed a medical outreach programme conducted by the hospital’s doctors in Burundi.

Professor Makubi said during the outreach last year, doctors performed surgical procedures on 50 patients and provided other medical services to 2,000 patients in two regions where the medical camps were conducted.

The Director General said the hospital’s strategy is to continue expanding access to quality specialised healthcare for neighbouring countries, noting that it currently provides 20 specialised and highly specialised medical services across 17 areas.

Tanzania Ambassador to Burundi, Gelasius Byakanwa, said the quality of medical services at the hospital was a result of investment in training healthcare professionals and acquiring modern medical equipment.

However, Ambassador Byakanwa said there were still challenges that needed to be addressed, particularly in improving services for international patients and their accompanying relatives.

He said the hospital’s large surrounding area provides an opportunity for further development, including the construction of major accommodation facilities such as a five-star hotel to support Tanzania’s medical tourism ambitions.