Tanzanians spend between US$70 million (about 151,5bn/-) and US$80 million annually (about 173.2bn/-) on specialized treatment abroad, a prominent Indian hospital has said in a note on its relationship with the country.
According to Apollo Group of Hospitals, the money is mostly spent on the treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are increasingly becoming a huge burden on the shoulders of the national healthcare system.
“The country’s current capacity to treat heart diseases, open heart surgery, cancer, kidney problems and neurosurgery is very low, and many people are choosing to travel abroad to Indian hospitals such as Apollo Hospitals,” its Chief Executive Dr Hari Prasad said in the note.
Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Tanzania after malaria, claiming 287 lives a day or 104,755 lives a year, according to the Tanzanian Cardiac Hospital Foundation.
The organization has it that 20 per cent of all the deaths in the country stems from lack of medical facilities and poverty. NCDs account for 124,930 (31 per cent) of the 403,000 deaths that occur in the country annually.
According to the latest WHO non-communicable disease country profiles, global mortality due to NCDs continues to rise. The report says 38 million people die each year of NCDs. People aged between 30 and 70 comprise nearly half of those who die of these diseases in developing countries.
“Apollo Hospitals is a well-known group amongst Tanzanians, as several top government officials, businessmen and women, and hundreds of heart patients are known to have received specialized treatment from the facilities,” the note released recently reads in part.
Tanzanians are the second most medical tourists to India from Africa after Nigerians. Africa’s largest economy leads the chart with 42.4 per cent of the 34, 522 Nigerians, who visited India, going there for medical treatment.
According to the New Delhi-based Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), out of the 23,345 Tanzanians who visited India in 2013, 4,319 were medical tourists.
RIS says in a report that most of these were treated at facilities of Apollo Hospitals.
Immediate former President Jakaya Kikwete visited the hospital during his state visit to India in June. During the June 17 to June 21visit, Mr Kikwete reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to partner with the group.
“Offering world renowned medical services at a fraction of other leading international centres has been Apollo Hospital’s drive for medical tourism. Apollo has today grown into the premier destination for various Tanzanians seeking advanced health care solutions,” the group said in the note.
“Recent noteworthy achievements include the successful surgery separation of Tanzanian conjoined twins,” it added.
Apollo Hospitals specialists often visit Tanzania for medical camps to provide their expertise and medical assistance to locally-based patients. Specialist doctors at Apollo have also offered training services to many Tanzanian doctors and nurses over the last few years.
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