Africa-Press – Tanzania. EVERY great journey begins with a vision. For Tanzania’s Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), that vision was born out of compassion, necessity and bold determination to confront one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
Established in 1996 through an Act of Parliament, ORCI was created at a time when cancer care in the country was limited and many patients had little hope of survival.
Three decades later, the institute stands as a beacon of specialised medical care, scientific progress and renewed hope for thousands of Tanzanians and patients from beyond the country’s borders.
As ORCI marks its 30th anniversary, it is emerging stronger than ever, backed by significant government investment, modern equipment and a highly skilled workforce that has gradually transformed cancer treatment in Tanzania.
This transformation received fresh impetus recently when Minister for Health, Mr Mohamed Mchengerwa, directed the institute to ensure that within the next three years no Tanzanian is forced to seek cancer treatment abroad.
The minister issued the directive while inaugurating a new Board of Trustees for ORCI, expressing confidence that the institute now has both the human expertise and technological capacity to achieve that ambitious goal.
“Given the great brains we have in this institution, we can prevent local cancer patients from travelling abroad for treatment,”
Mr Mchengerwa said, challenging the board to craft a clear and comprehensive transformation plan. In the last four years alone, the Sixth Phase Government has invested approximately 40bn/- in upgrading ORCI’s infrastructure and medical equipment.
The investment has seen the installation of state-ofthe-art machines, including an Elekta Linear Accelerator and the Bhabhatron II-Cobalt Radiotherapy Machine, dramatically improving the quality and range of treatment options.
For decades, the institute struggled with inadequate facilities, forcing many patients to seek treatment in India, South Africa and other countries at enormous personal cost.
Mr Mchengerwa acknowledged that ORCI has long had highly trained oncologists comparable to those in developed countries, but their work was hindered by outdated or insufficient equipment.
“With the installation of new equipment, our experts can now unlock their full potential,” he said.
“Our goal is for ORCI to be recognised as a centre of excellence not only in Tanzania but across the continent,” he stressed.
Minister Mchengerwa has urged ORCI to intensify scientific studies on cancer, warning that without sufficient local research, Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems could end up relying on foreign data to define African realities.
“Our institute should have authority in Africa when we speak about cancer,” he said.
“Without enough scientific publications, our reality will be defined by others.” This focus on research is already taking shape.
Plans are underway to expand facilities through the construction of an ultra-modern oncology centre at Mloganzila and a multi-purpose oncology building, projects expected to further strengthen specialised services.
ORCI’s Executive Director, Dr Diwani Msemo, noted that a 10-year National Cancer Control Plan, which ended in 2024, played a key role in expanding services beyond Dar es Salaam.
“The government has been working to bring cancer services closer to citizens instead of forcing everyone to travel to Dar es Salaam,” he said.
Regional cancer units have since been established in various parts of the country, easing congestion at ORCI and enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment.
“There is no reason for any Tanzanian to go abroad for cancer treatment,” Dr Msemo insisted.
According to long-serving oncologist Dr Hamza Maunda, the early years of ORCI were characterised by severe challenges.
“In the beginning, the situation was very difficult, especially in terms of equipment for cancer treatment. We also had very few staff. But we built ourselves gradually,” he recalled.
At the time of its establishment, Tanzania had almost no specialised facilities for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Patients relied heavily on general hospitals, which lacked both equipment and expertise.
A major turning point came in 2013 when ORCI launched a specialised programme to train doctors to become oncologists.
This initiative helped build a critical mass of local specialists, reducing dependence on foreign experts. Over the years, government support has remained central to the institute’s growth.
Another milestone has been the establishment of an in-house pathology department.
Previously, ORCI depended on Muhimbili National Hospital for critical diagnostic tests, often causing delays in treatment.
“We did not have a pathology unit, which is essential for confirming cancer cases,” explained radiology specialist Dr Yokebeth Vuhahula.
“Now we have our own fully functional department and can conduct tests ourselves. This has greatly improved service delivery.”
“Today the changes are enormous. We now have many more health workers than before,” says oncology nurse Mwaka Mhoka, who has witnessed the institute’s evolution first-hand.
The impact of these reforms is visible not only within Tanzania but across the region.
Dr Carol Swai, a clinical leader at ORCI, said the institute has begun attracting a growing number of patients from outside the country.
“Due to the huge investment made under President Samia from 2021, we started seeing a large influx of patients from across Sub-Saharan Africa,” she noted.
This growing regional confidence underscores ORCI’s rising profile as a dependable cancer treatment centre. Beyond treatment, the institute is also placing strong emphasis on research and innovation.
Dr Maguha Ollo, Manager for Cancer Screening, emphasised the need to empower health workers at grassroots level.
“The key is to build capacity for staff who work close to patients so that when we leave after outreach programmes, they can continue providing services,” he explained.
Similarly, Radiology Services Manager Dr Revelian Iramu notes that modern diagnostic equipment now allows doctors to obtain more precise details about diseases, leading to better treatment outcomes.
As ORCI celebrates 30 years of service, the story that emerges is one of resilience, learning and steady progress.
From a modest facility with limited resources in 1996 to a fully-fledged national referral hospital equipped with world-class technology in 2025, the institute’s journey mirrors Tanzania’s broader transformation in healthcare.
Challenges remain, including the rising burden of cancer, the need for more specialists and the demand for continuous technological upgrades. But the foundation laid over the past three decades provides strong grounds for optimism.
Established with a simple mission to serve Tanzanians in need, ORCI has grown into a symbol of national pride and regional hope.
If the current momentum is sustained, the vision expressed by Minister Mchengerwa—that no Tanzanian should have to leave the country for cancer treatment—may soon become not just a policy aspiration but a lasting reality.
Indeed, after 30 years of determination and progress, ORCI’s greatest chapters may still lie ahead.
Source: Daily News – Tanzania Standard Newspapers
