Ocean Road Cancer Institute

Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) is a public, specialized, tertiary care medical facility owned by the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.[1] It is the largest comprehensive cancer center in the country.

Ocean Road Cancer Institute
Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
Ocean Road Cancer Institute, January 2017
Geography
LocationDar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania
Coordinates06°48′39″S 39°17′47″E
Organisation
Care systemPublic
TypeCancer Treatment, Research and Teaching
Services
Beds259
History
Opened1895 (1895)
Links
WebsiteHomepage
Other linksList of hospitals in Tanzania

Location

The facility is located in Ilala District, in Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam Region, in Tanzania's capital and largest city. The geographical coordinates of the institute are: 6°48'39.0"S, 39°17'47.0"E (Latitude:-6.810833; Longitude:39.296389).[2]

Overview

ORCI is a cancer treatment, research, and teaching center, affiliated with the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and with Muhimbili National Hospital, the teaching hospital of the university. ORCI maintains an inpatient facility with capacity of 256 beds.[3]

In Tanzania, an estimated 35,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2014, of whom about 21,000 (60 percent) died, the same year. The country has only two cancer hospitals, with the main one, ORCI, located in the capital, Dar es Salaam. Approximately 150 outpatients are attended to at ORCI, on a daily basis. At the institute, it is estimated that about 90 percent of the patients arrive when it's too late for a cure.[3]

History

This health facility was founded in 1895 by the German colonial government. In the beginning, the hospital catered exclusively for German community. After the First World War, the British Colonial government reserved the hospital for serving the European communities.[1]

After independence in 1961, the hospital was renamed the Ocean Road Hospital, and all racial restrictions were removed. Ocean Road Hospital became the maternity wing of Muhimbili Medical Centre. In 1980, the facility was converted into a cancer treatment unit. The Radiotherapy Unit of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Dar es Salaam was shifted from Muhimbili Medical Centre to the Ocean Road Hospital.[1]

In June 1996, Ocean Road Hospital was made an independent autonomous institute directly under the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and its name changed to Ocean Road Cancer Institute.[1]

In 2019, the hospital expanded its external beam radiotherapy services to include two linear accelerators in addition to its Cobalt-60 machine and brachytherapy services.[4]

Currently, plans are underway to install the first PET-CT scan in the country.[5]

ORCI also researches and treats viral diseases, including HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B.[6]

International collaboration

The international organizations with collaborative projects with Ocean Road Cancer Institute include, but are not limited to the following:[1]

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See also

References
  1. ORCI (2018). "Background of Ocean Road Cancer Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania". Dar es Salaam: Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI). Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  2. Google (18 February 2019). "Location of Ocean Road Cancer Institute" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  3. World Health Organization (2015). "Shortages and late diagnosis hamper cancer treatment in Dar es Salaam". Geneva: World Health Organization. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  4. https://www.ippmedia.com/en/news/%E2%80%98radiotherapy-equipment-orci-first-africa%E2%80%99
  5. https://allafrica.com/stories/202002040173.html
  6. Lamtey, Gadiosa (13 September 2018). "Ocean Road Cancer Institute Offers Hepatitis Screening". The Citizen (Tanzania). Dar es Salaam. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
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