MWE Correspondent
Tanzania has begun preparations to establish heart transplant services at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), in a major step aimed at expanding access to highly specialised cardiac treatment and reducing the need for patients to seek advanced care abroad.
The preparations are being undertaken in collaboration with medical experts from Egypt and Kuwait and involve training Tanzanian health professionals, developing clinical guidelines and establishing the systems and infrastructure required for the service to operate safely and effectively.
Speaking during a joint implementation meeting, Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hamad Nyembea, said the government was implementing the programme as part of efforts to expand specialised and highly specialised medical services in Tanzania, in line with the country’s Development Vision 2050.
Dr Nyembea said the initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to strengthening the health sector and ensuring that Tanzanians can access advanced medical treatment within the country rather than having to travel abroad.
The development comes as JKCI continues to expand its capacity to perform increasingly complex cardiac procedures. In recent months, the institute has reported several specialised interventions conducted in collaboration with international medical teams, including a complex Nikaidoh heart operation on a two-year-old child, which JKCI described as the first of its kind at the institute and in East and Central Africa.
Acting Executive Director of JKCI, Dr Naizihijwa Majani, said introducing heart transplantation would mark an important milestone in the institute’s expansion of advanced cardiac services.
Also Read: Tanzania Joins GPE Push To Mobilise More Education Financing
She said the institute had identified patients whose hearts had reached a stage where conventional treatment could no longer provide adequate support, yet heart transplantation is currently not available in Tanzania.
“Introducing this service will bring new hope to these patients and strengthen the country’s capacity to provide advanced cardiac treatment,” Dr Majani said.
The planned programme also reflects a broader effort to build Tanzania’s domestic medical expertise through international partnerships. Under the arrangement, Tanzanian specialists are expected to receive practical training and participate in knowledge and experience exchange with experts from Egypt and Kuwait.
Deputy Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ambassador Mohand Salah Ladjouzi, said the cooperation between Tanzania and Arab countries was intended to strengthen the capacity of Tanzanian medical professionals through practical training and exchange of expertise.
The initiative comes as the demand for specialised cardiac care continues to grow. In September, JKCI officials said about 1,500 children at the institute were awaiting urgent heart surgery, while a separate fundraising initiative by the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation targeted more than Sh200 million to support surgery for 100 children with heart conditions.
JKCI has also continued expanding specialised cardiac services, including outreach programmes and complex surgical procedures, strengthening its role as Tanzania’s national cardiac referral centre. The institute’s official website lists cardiology, cardiovascular interventions, critical care, specialised treatment, training and research among its core functions.
Earlier reports indicated that JKCI was working toward introducing heart transplantation within a five-year period, with preparations including the development of systems for organ donation and the acquisition of advanced technologies needed to support critically ill cardiac patients.
If successfully established, the heart transplant programme would add another highly specialised service to Tanzania’s growing cardiac-care capacity and could further strengthen JKCI’s role in serving patients from Tanzania and the wider East and Central African region.
