THE Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) has announced plans to start offering liver transplant services next year, in response to the growing number of patients attending the hospital's liver clinic.

Prof. Mohamed Janabi, the MNH executive director, shared this update at a city press conference yesterday, affirming that over 5,000 patients have liver-related ailments where 2,333 were diagnosed with liver tumors in a span of one year,

About 607 patients were identified as having liver cancer or cirrhosis, requiring liver transplants, he said, explaining that the hospital has been preparing to launch this service over the past two years, in collaboration with Indian specialists.

"In the past two days, we've conducted screenings at the outpatient department and identified over 100 patients with liver complications,” he said, referring to the consultation as part of the institution’s capacity-building process.

MNH needs nurses and qualified specialists in this field, he declared, asserting that India's expertise in liver transplantation dates back to 2002, while the collaboration move is projected to have the service operational in the next few months.

Stressing the importance of bringing such services closer to the people, he said that many patients have to travel abroad for treatment due to a lack of expertise, diagnostic equipment and proper infrastructure.

"We've worked with experts from Fortis Hospital in India, who have spent three days with our doctors, assessing patients with liver diseases and evaluating the availability of medications, laboratory infrastructure and ICU facilities required for this service," he stated.

Jennifer Choudhary, the Vaidam Health business director, an Indian medical enterprise, expressed excitement at being part of the preparations, asserting that providing the service requires careful planning. 

It may go through several stages before liver transplants can begin, she said, explaining that the Indian team was there to lay the groundwork, setting up modalities for patient assessments and identifying resources needed for the next phase.

Dr. Gaurav Gupta, top consultant at the Fortis Hospitals system in India, said that liver transplantation is a complex process that requires the right equipment and experts for success.

Dr. Kitembo Salumu, a digestive system and liver surgeon at MNH, asserted that the hospital’s records show over 5,000 patients reported having liver ailments, with 2,333 showing liver tumours and 607 diagnosed with liver cancer, mostly requiring liver transplants.