The Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) has set its sights on becoming Africa’s leading hub for medical tourism, building on its expanding expertise in cancer treatment and advanced healthcare services.
This ambition was highlighted during a high-level meeting in Dar es Salaam on September 11, 2025, between ORCI’s leadership and private sector stakeholders from Global Medicare.
The talks focused on ways to collaborate in strengthening Tanzania’s position as a regional destination for specialized medical care.
Global Medicare Managing Director and Vice Chairperson of the National Committee on Medical Tourism, Abdulmalick Mollel, stressed that medical tourism is a shared agenda requiring strong partnerships.
“Ocean Road Cancer Institute has all the right ingredients to lead this effort—specialized experts, strong infrastructure, and modern diagnostic technology. What remains is improving service delivery, fostering innovation, and promoting these services both locally and internationally,” said Mollel.
He applauded ORCI Executive Director, Dr. Diwani Msemo, for driving rapid improvements in infrastructure and service delivery.
He noted that these reforms are well aligned with the Institute’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, which seeks to achieve international accreditation for cancer diagnostics and treatment.
Dr. Msemo welcomed the support from Global Medicare and emphasized that a medical tourism strategy would expand the number of foreign patients seeking care in Tanzania.
“In 2024, more than 384 patients from Zambia, Malawi, Comoros, Kenya, Mozambique, and Burundi received treatment at Ocean Road. This shows the potential we have to grow as a regional center of excellence,” said Dr. Msemo.
He further underlined that the plan responds directly to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s call to enhance medical tourism as part of Tanzania’s economic and healthcare development agenda.
“Management and staff at ORCI must be ready to adapt, learn, and collaborate with experienced partners from the private sector and government. That is the path to making Tanzania a trusted medical tourism destination,” he added.
If realized, the initiative is expected to boost Tanzania’s profile as a healthcare hub while widening access to quality cancer care across Africa.