Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute overwhelmed by patients
What you need to know:
The institute which has been in operation since 2015 offers specialized services such as open heart surgery and teaching.
Dar es Salaam. The Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) is overwhelmed by patients, thanks to increased awareness and 'affordability' of the treatment costs through health insurance cover.
The institute is now gearing up for further expansion. It will set up a new wing outside the city so as to accommodate more patients with heart complications.
The proposed new campus for both teaching and heart surgeries will be established at Mlonganzila on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam where land for the purpose has been secured. "It is true we are going to have a new wing in the near future", said Dr. Robert Mallya, the institute's Director of Nursing Services when briefing young health scientists on its activities.
He declined details of the expansion plans of the facility which is part of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (Muhas), also expanding to Mlonganzila.
According to him, JKCI currently has the capacity of 150 beds and is serving between 300 and 400 outpatients a day with the figures soaring.
He said patients were rushing to the facility, within the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) premises, as an alternative to the expensive heart surgeries abroad.
Ordinary people with heart problems have taken advantage of the health insurance cover and were now rushing there in droves for operations and treatment. "In fact, those covered by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) form the majority of our patients", he told The Citizen.
Besides those covered by NHIF, patients admitted there for operation or diagnosis include those falling under the cost-sharing scheme, others exempted from paying and those who pay fully.
The cost of open heart surgery and associated treatment range from Sh. 9 million to Sh. 15m depending on the type of cardiac complication and surgery. Statistics indicate that JKCI carried out 1,356 heart operations last year.
It is projected there will be over 1,500 operations this year. The institute was established and operationalized in 2015,taking over the heart surgery unit which operated under the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI).
Dr Mallya said the facility enjoyed maximum support of the government through ensuring it was fully equipped with state-of-art working tools. Currently it has a workforce of 305 being medical experts, cardiologists, surgeons,nurses and the support staff.
He boasted that the facility was attracting patients from outside Tanzania, adding that it has one of the lowest mortality rates compared to other hospitals.
At the JKCI mortality rate has been recorded to be only five per cent of those who undergo heart operations, well below the African average of 13 per cent.
The institute was among major health institutions visited by experts who attended the 7th East African Health and Scientific Conference in Dar es Salaam which ended yesterday.
