Patients suffering strokes that require brain surgery can now access a new minimally invasive procedure at the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI), reducing the need for more extensive surgery and referrals abroad, according to the institute.
MOI says the technology, which it is using for the first time in Tanzania, enables neurosurgeons to locate and remove clotted blood through a small opening in the skull, allowing them to target the affected area while limiting disruption to surrounding brain tissue.
The development is expected to strengthen Tanzania’s capacity to provide specialised stroke care locally at a time when MOI says it receives between three and five stroke patients a day.
Speaking yesterday, September 17, 2026, MOI Director of Neurosurgery Dr Lemeri Mchome said the procedure involves inserting a specialised camera-equipped device through a small opening in the skull.
“We make a small opening in the skull and insert a specialised camera-equipped device that allows us to see the area where the blood has clotted and remove it without affecting other parts,” he said.
Dr Mchome said the technology would give Tanzanian patients access to advanced neurosurgical care without necessarily having to seek treatment outside the country.
“This is the most advanced technology globally, and as an institution we are not falling behind. Stroke patients do not have to rush abroad for treatment because the service is now available at MOI,” he said.
He said the growing number of stroke patients seeking treatment at the institute demonstrated the need to expand specialised services and adopt technologies that can improve the management of complex cases.
MOI specialist neurosurgeon Dr John Mtei, who participated in the first operation using the device, said precision and treatment effectiveness were central to the new approach.
“The effectiveness of treatment is the most important aspect of using this technology. A patient undergoes surgery and the problem is removed with greater certainty,” Dr Mtei said.
The introduction of the technology is part of MOI’s broader efforts to expand specialised orthopaedic and neurological services in Tanzania, while reducing the number of patients requiring treatment abroad.
For the Government, increased access to specialised procedures locally could also help reduce the costs associated with sending patients overseas for treatment.
MOI says it will continue investing in specialised expertise and technologies as part of efforts to strengthen Tanzania’s capacity to handle complex neurological and orthopaedic conditions and position the institute as a centre of excellence in Africa.