Public Hospitals in Zanzibar

The public hospitals in Zanzibar Town have three branches: the main hospital Mnazi Mmoja, the Mwembeladu Maternity Hospital, and the Mental Hospital Kidongo Chekundu. Combined, the three branches have a total 510 beds.

The hospitals offer a well established clinical electives/ healthcare internship program for international students, with qualified internship supervisors available in their respective specialties. An elective or internship in the public hospitals is generally recognized for university credit by international medical faculties.

For electives/internships, various departments within a branch or across the three branches can be combined, whereby at least one week should be spent per department.

The minimum working hours at the hospitals are Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 12 PM. Participants can also continue in the afternoons. Every Thursday at 7:30 PM, there is a half-hour meeting between elective students/interns and the internship supervisors.

Mnazi Mmoja Hospital

Zanzibar's large public hospital is called Mnazi Mmoja. It is located in the Mnazi Mmoja area, close to Stone Town, the historic old town of Zanzibar Town.

At Mnazi Mmoja, students can choose the following departments for their electives/internships: Pediatrics (two departments, one for children aged 0-3 years and one for ages 3-12 years), Gynecology, Obstetrics, Internal Medicine (Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, Nephrology), Surgery, Dermatology, Dentistry, Intensive Care Unit, HIV Unit, Leprosy Unit (a tuberculosis vaccination is required to intern here), Neurosurgery, Radiology, ENT, Ophthalmology, Acupuncture, Outpatient Clinic, Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy. Internships in the hospital pharmacy are possible for pharmaceutical students.

Mnazi Mmoja employs 16 specialists, 10 general practitioners, 20 assistant doctors, and 30 clinical officers (which in East Africa are qualified and licensed medical personnel who perform general medical tasks such as diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries, ordering and interpreting medical tests, performing routine procedures, and referring patients to other practitioners).

The Internal Medicine department is divided into women's and men's wards, where a total of five physicians work along clinical officers. This department has 64 beds.

The occupational therapy department focuses particularly on children with neurological problems.

Electives/internships in obstetrics can be done at Mnazi Mmoja and Mwembeladu Maternity Hospital.

Mnazi Mmoja Hospital Zanzibar also has an acupuncture department as an integral part of treating conditions such as chronic pain, depression, impotence, or the aftereffects of a stroke. Established in the 1960s, it is well-known throughout East Africa. Patients come not only from mainland Tanzania but also from neighboring countries for acupuncture treatments. The department was created through close cooperation with the People's Republic of China during Zanzibar's socialist era. A Chinese acupuncture specialist is usually on-site, and several Tanzanians trained in acupuncture practice at Mnazi Mmoja. An internship in acupuncture is possible both for participants who are still learning acupuncture and for specialists, for whom applying their knowledge in Africa might be a new experience.

Mwembeladu Maternity Hospital

Mwembeladu Maternity Hospital is located in the Mwembeladu district of Zanzibar Town, about 10 minutes by dala-dala (public transport) from Mnazi Mmoja. The clinic specializes in maternity and childbirth. Approximately 1350 children are born in the clinic each quarter, including children of HIV-positive women, who are often HIV-positive themselves.

The hospital has antenatal (prenatal) and postnatal care wards. The antenatal department offers ultrasound, medical check-ups, pregnancy counseling, family planning advice, and HIV testing. The birthing ward has various delivery rooms, treatment rooms, and a new, modern operating room. However, more complex surgeries related to pregnancy are currently performed at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital.

Clinical electives/internships in midwifery are possible at both Mnazi Mmoja and Mwembeladu Maternity Hospital.

Kidongo Chekundu Mental Hospital

The psychiatric hospital follows the biopsychosocial model and employs professionals in psychiatry, psychology, and social work. There is an outpatient clinic open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with about 1400 patient visits per month. Additionally, around 850 heroin addicts receive outpatient methadone treatment. About 50-60 patients are admitted monthly for short stays.

Kidongo Chekundu has its own department for children and adolescents.

There is also an occupational therapy department where patients draw and paint daily and occasionally do gardening and carpentry. However, the occupational therapy department for children is at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital.

Zanzibar Outreach Program

In addition to the clinical elective or internship at Zanzibar's public hospitals, healthcare students and interns can, for a small additional fee payable at the hospital, participate in the "Zanzibar Outreach Program (ZOP)." This program conducts weekly medical outreach activities, including screenings, treatments, and training in rural areas of Zanzibar (Unguja) and Pemba.

How to Apply?

You can either send an inquiry first or book directly if you meet the requirements (be a student or graduate of medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nutrition, health sciences, midwifery, psychology, pharmacy, or related fields). If you meet the formal requirements, you will always be accepted, but the availability of your desired departments must be confirmed by the hospital.

Some documents are required, which you can email to us (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to receive formal acceptance from the hospital:

• A resume in English
• A letter of recommendation from your university/training institution in English
• A transcript of records
• A passport photo, preferably with a blue background
• A scan of your passport (double page with photo)
• A scan of your current police clearance certificate
  • should not be older than one month at the time of application (if possible, in English)
  • otherwise, you can simply translate the original yourself and include the translation
• The completed application form that we will send you

Hospital Contribution

Please note that in addition to the program fees paid to World Unite!, there is also a contribution payable to the hospital, which must be paid directly on site. This fee amounts to 100 USD per week. You can find details on this page under “Program Details” → “Program Rates.”