FOLLOWING 11 renal transplants, Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) has helped the government save 1.1bn/- that would have been used to send patients abroad for the medical service.
The hospital’s Executive Director, Dr Alphonce Chandika, noted here on Wednesday that sending a kidney recipient and donor abroad for kidney transplantations would cost the government over 100m/-.
“For the same amount, we can carry out kidney transplants on four to five people in the country. Kidney transplant operation costs 22m/- for the pair (kidney recipient and donor) in the country,” said the Executive Director while briefing reporters on four renal transplants performed by BMH on Monday and Tuesday.
In March 2018, BMH became the second public hospital in the country to perform renal transplant after the Muhimbili National Hospital since its establishment on October 13, 2015.
Dr Chandika informed the journalists that BMH introduced kidney transplant after entering into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Dodoma (UDOM) which had an agreement with the Tokyo-based Tokushukai Medical Group to share experience in the medical area.
He explained that the agreement between UDOM and Tokushukai Medical Group was facilitated by former President and Chancellor of UDOM, Mr Benjamin Mkapa.
“We have been collaborating with UDOM’s College of Health and Allied Sciences in performing jointly the kidney transplant procedures,” he observed.
He said BMH will continue collaborating with Tokushukai Medical Group in other medical areas and capacity building to enhance medical services in the 400- bed hospital, expressing gratitude to the medical group supporting the Hospital.
“We are grateful to Tukushukai Medical Group for sharing experience. They promised to teach us how to fish, not to give us fish,” said the director.
Chairman of Tokushukai Medical Group, Dr Shinozaki Nobuaki, commended BMH for registering a massive achievement since its establishment, noting that the hospital can now support neighbouring countries in renal transplants.
