More than 600 patients from Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma regions have accessed specialist and super-specialist healthcare services, including surgeries, during a medical camp being conducted at the Southern Zone Referral Hospital in Mtwara.
The outreach programme, which has so far benefited between 600 and 650 citizens, is aimed at improving access to advanced medical services by bringing specialist doctors closer to communities in the southern regions.
The camp is organised by the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Southern Zone Referral Hospital as part of efforts to expand access to specialised healthcare services.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the camp on July 22, 2026, Mtwara Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS), CPA Bahati Geuza, said government investment in the referral hospital has significantly improved its ability to provide advanced medical care.
He said the government has invested more than TZS 15.8 billion in the hospital, including over TZS 9 billion allocated for medical equipment, enabling the facility to handle more specialist procedures.
“Investments in infrastructure and medical equipment have increased the hospital’s capacity to provide specialist and super-specialist services to citizens,” CPA Geuza said.
He added that the improvements are helping residents of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma access quality healthcare services closer to their homes, reducing the burden of travelling to distant health facilities.
Dr Godfrey Sama, Research Coordinator at ECSA-HC, said the medical camp demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery across member countries.
“Our goal is to reach citizens and provide services based on the needs of individual patients,” Dr Sama said, noting that similar specialist medical camps have previously been conducted in Uganda and Lesotho.
CPA Geuza commended the Ministry of Health, ECSA-HC and other partners for supporting the initiative, while encouraging residents from the three regions to utilise the opportunity and access the specialist services available at the Southern Zone Referral Hospital.
The medical camp is part of broader efforts to strengthen Tanzania’s healthcare system by expanding access to specialised treatment and improving the capacity of regional referral facilities.
