Health Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa has challenged the newly appointed Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) Board of Trustees to turn growing investment in the country’s largest referral hospital into measurable improvements in patient care.
Mr Mchengerwa said the board’s performance should be judged by the quality and continuity of services, maintenance of medical equipment, accountability for public funds and progress on the TZS1.2 trillion New Muhimbili Hospital project.
He issued the directives yesterday in Dar es Salaam while inaugurating the new board and launching four projects at MNH, including a Maternal-Fetal Unit, a modern obstetric operating theatre, a medical oxygen plant and a Fast Track/VIP Clinic.
The minister said the board had a responsibility to ensure that investment in infrastructure and equipment translates into better services for patients referred to MNH from across the country.
“The board is not appointed to sit; it is appointed to stand for the patient, stand for the truth and stand even when standing comes at a cost,” Mr Mchengerwa said.
Professor Muhammad Bakari Kambi has been appointed chairman of the board for a three-year term.
Mr Mchengerwa directed the board to strengthen oversight of the hospital and work closely with management to improve governance, transparency, accountability and discipline.
He also warned against delays in repairing medical equipment and infrastructure, saying breakdowns can directly disrupt treatment.
“Management of this plant must be done properly, including timely preventive maintenance, so that the service remains sustainable. Medical oxygen is medicine, and medicine that is unavailable when needed is no longer medicine,” he said.
The new medical oxygen plant, which cost about TZS1.63 billion, is expected to address oxygen supply challenges at the hospital.
Mr Mchengerwa directed MNH to maintain the plant properly and introduce preventive maintenance to avoid interruptions in production.
The emphasis on maintenance comes as the government continues to invest heavily in health infrastructure and specialised equipment, raising the need for hospitals to keep those assets operational over their intended lifespan.
The minister also said the Maternal-Fetal Unit would allow health workers to identify pregnancy-related risks earlier and intervene before complications become emergencies.
He said the approach was part of efforts to reduce maternal and newborn deaths by shifting healthcare towards early detection and prevention.
The new obstetric theatre, meanwhile, is expected to help reduce delays in surgical care while improving infection prevention and outcomes for mothers and newborns.
Mr Mchengerwa called on other major hospitals to study the model and improve their operating theatre facilities.
The Fast Track/VIP Clinic is designed to provide high-end services to patients who can afford them, including those who might otherwise seek treatment outside the country.
But Mr Mchengerwa said the commercial side of the service should not undermine MNH’s public-service mandate.
He directed the hospital to use part of the revenue generated through the clinic to support services for patients who cannot afford private care.
“Revenue innovation should never become a reason to forget why we collect revenue,” he said.
He also called for the clinic to be properly branded and marketed to attract both Tanzanian and international patients seeking specialised treatment.
The minister ordered the new board to regularly report on the impact of the projects, including the number of mothers treated, changes in infection rates, oxygen production and revenue generated by the Fast Track/VIP Clinic.
Such data, he said, would enable the government to determine whether its investments are delivering the intended results.
Mr Mchengerwa also placed the TZS1.2 trillion New Muhimbili Hospital project among the board’s key priorities.
The project is intended to modernise MNH and expand its capacity to provide specialised and super-specialised healthcare in line with the country’s long-term development plans.
He directed the board to closely monitor implementation and ensure the project progresses according to the agreed work plan.
The government’s broader objective, he said, is to strengthen MNH’s capacity to provide advanced treatment locally and reduce the need for patients to travel abroad.
MNH Executive Director Dr Delilah Charles Kimambo said the hospital had received significant investment in infrastructure and medical equipment in recent years.
She cited the New Muhimbili project and the acquisition of modern equipment, including mammography machines, an Angio Suite, MRI, modern CT scanners and a Hyperbaric Chamber.
According to Dr Kimambo, the investments have expanded the hospital’s ability to provide specialised and super-specialised diagnostic and treatment services and helped reduce referrals of patients seeking treatment abroad.
MNH has also launched a modern obstetric operating theatre valued at TZS1.8 billion, aimed at improving maternal and child healthcare.
For the new board, however, the central test will be whether the investments translate into shorter waiting times, functioning equipment, reliable essential services and better outcomes for patients relying on Tanzania’s national referral hospital.