The Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) has stepped up efforts to improve specialised cancer care by strengthening cooperation with the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), including joint assessment of patients and sharing of medical expertise.
The move follows a visit by MOI specialists to ORCI aimed at learning about advances in cancer diagnosis, treatment technology and medical infrastructure, as major public health institutions seek to improve services available to patients.
The visit is also part of the implementation of Health Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa’s directive for major hospitals to visit and learn from one another, exchange expertise and identify ways of improving healthcare delivery.
Receiving the MOI delegation, ORCI Executive Director Dr Diwani Msemo said such exchanges were important because they allow health institutions to understand the technologies and specialised services available at other facilities.
For patients, stronger cooperation between specialised institutions could reduce gaps in care by allowing doctors from different fields to work together when dealing with complex cases.
MOI Director of Neurosurgery Dr Laurent Mchome said the delegation had witnessed significant developments at ORCI, particularly in infrastructure and medical equipment.
He urged the public to seek medical attention early whenever they notice unusual changes in their health, warning against delaying medical assessment.
“Early medical attention gives doctors an opportunity to identify health problems and provide appropriate treatment in time,” he said.
ORCI Director of Medical Services Dr Mark Mseti said the MOI team visited several areas of the institute, including the radiotherapy unit, where they observed modern machines used in cancer treatment.
The delegation also visited the institute’s PET/CT Scan project and a facility for producing radiopharmaceuticals using Cyclotron technology.
The investments are intended to expand ORCI’s capacity to diagnose cancer accurately and provide advanced treatment services, reducing the need for patients to seek some specialised services outside the country.
The two institutions have also agreed to establish stronger cooperation among specialists, particularly in managing patients with bone cancer and cancers affecting the brain and nervous system.
Under the arrangement, specialists from MOI and ORCI will hold joint meetings to review complex cases, assess patients and agree on appropriate treatment approaches.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen multidisciplinary cancer care and improve coordination between the two institutions, ultimately benefiting patients who require specialised treatment.
For Tanzania’s healthcare system, the initiative highlights the importance of linking specialised public institutions so that existing expertise, technology and infrastructure can be used more effectively to improve patient outcomes.