Ethiopia’s Private Healthcare Industry Awaits Green Light for Kidney Transplants

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (18 March 2023)

Private hospitals in Ethiopia are eagerly waiting for permission from the government to carry out kidney transplants, according to a report by Addis Maleda. Currently, the service is only provided by government health institutions, leading to a lack of resources and interruptions in the service. Health experts believe that allowing private health institutions to perform kidney transplants will not only reduce costs for citizens but also attract patients from neighboring countries and earn foreign currency.

There are approximately four private health institutions waiting for the government’s permission to start kidney transplant services, including Karuz General Hospital, whose shareholders include Professor of Surgery Mahteme Bekele. They have stated that they are ready to begin providing medical services as soon as they receive the green light from the government.

Dr. Nathaniel Taye, a specialist in cardiac medicine, emphasized that expanding the kidney transplant service in private health facilities would have many benefits for Ethiopia. He believes that it will not only save citizens the cost of traveling abroad but also generate foreign currency by attracting patients from neighboring countries.

Access to health care in Ethiopia is currently at less than 50 percent, and the country has only 144 hospitals, with the number not exceeding 200, even after construction since 2022. This is in stark contrast to countries like India, which has over 69,000 hospitals. Health experts are therefore questioning why kidney transplant treatment is being limited to government hospitals and urging the government to consider granting permission to private health institutions.

Source: Addis Maleda