Marangu Hospital
Marangu Hospital is a district hospital, located in the the dense tropical rainforest, which is spreading across the hills of the extensive village of Marangu on the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is owned and managed by the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Tanzania, serving a rural population of around 300,000 people from Marangu and the neighbouring districts.
Marangu Hospital provides a comprehensive range of healthcare services, including:
- In-patient and Out-patient Departments
- Eye Clinic
- Dental Clinic
- Reproductive Child Health
- HIV Care and Treatment
- Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT)
- Palliative Care
OUR VISIT IN OCTOBER 2024
In October 2024, we had the opportunity to meet Dr. Male Kitembo, the hospital’s dedicated and enthusiastic director-physician. He welcomed our arrival, viewing it as a significant chance to enhance the hospital’s capabilities and services in the coming years.
The characteristic but very old buildings are spread over a large area. Our eye is
drawn to a fairly new off-grid solar power installation with a remarkable story.A few years ago, a group of mountain climbers found themselves at Marangu Hospital during a critical moment when a young mother underwent an emergency cesarean section. Just as the procedure began, the power went out, plunging the operating room into darkness. Thanks to the skill and determination of the medical team, both mother and baby were saved against all odds.
After witnessing this, the climbers decided to take action. They raised funds and installed solar panels on the maternity
clinic, enough to always have power there.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
In the next few months, we’ll be installing new cabling to connect all the buildings and departments to a central IT room. At the same time, we’re working on getting essential equipment from the Netherlands, like switches, servers, and access points, which we’ll ship to Tanzania.
Local IT consultants from KCMC, whom we’ve trained, will take care of the installation, making sure Marangu Hospital has the tech it needs to enhance patient care and improve operations.