How to Find English - Speaking Doctors and Clinics in Mozambique

Moving to Mozambique offers incredible beauty and opportunity, but navigating the healthcare system as an expatriate requires careful planning. Since Portuguese is the official language, finding medical professionals who speak English is often a top priority. Given that expats are not entitled to utilize the public healthcare system, your search will focus exclusively on the private healthcare sector.

The good news is that the private sector is specifically geared toward international standards and is where you are most likely to find English-speaking staff.

1. Maputo: The Hub for International Care

The vast majority of the country's private health facilities are heavily concentrated in the capital, Maputo City. Here, you will find several key institutions that cater directly to the expatriate community and actively employ multilingual staff.

Leading Private Hospitals and Clinics:

• Lenmed Maputo Private Hospital: This facility is Mozambique's first multidisciplinary private hospital, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. It explicitly offers services in both English and Portuguese. Located in the Sommerschield II neighborhood, it provides extensive specialized services, including 24-hour Emergency Department services. It is owned in part by the South African company, Lenmed Health.
• International SOS Clinic (Maputo): This clinic is highly recommended for expatriates and provides primary care, emergency stabilization, general practitioner consultations, and critical medical evacuation services. They are a crucial resource for corporations, especially those in the energy, mining, and large-scale construction sectors.
• Clínica da Sommerschield: This is a private clinic popular among expats for general care. It is specifically listed as having English-speaking staff.
• Clinica de Especialidades: This is often regarded as one of the best private hospitals in Maputo, featuring a range of specialties and modern diagnostic equipment.
• Sunshine Hospitals (Maputo & Matola): This is a prominent private provider known for offering state-of-the-art medical facilities that meet international standards. They have a main facility in Matola and a branch in Maputo city focused on outpatient and diagnostic services. They are confirmed to have English-speaking staff and a 24/7 service in Matola.
• ICOR (Instituto do Coração): This is a private cardiac institute in Maputo that is listed among the major healthcare providers in the city and confirmed to have English-speaking staff.

In general, doctors at private clinics in Maputo are often expats themselves and are well-trained and experienced, contributing to the higher likelihood of finding English speakers.

Other English-Speaking Clinics in Major Cities:

While Maputo has the greatest concentration of private facilities, private healthcare providers are present in every province.

• Pemba: International SOS operates a clinic in Pemba, providing primary and emergency care, as well as occupational health services, primarily serving foreign workers on LNG projects. This clinic acts as a Response Center for evacuations. Other private clinics exist in Pemba, though they may not offer surgical care.
• Beira: Lenmed also operates the Beira Private Hospital. Other private facilities like the Clínica Avicena and Hope Dental Surgery in Sofala Province (where Beira is located) are explicitly listed as having English-speaking staff.

2. Practical Strategies for Finding a Doctor

If you are looking for specific types of practitioners (like dentists or optometrists) or reviews, use these resources:

1. Consular & Embassy Lists: The US Embassy publishes an annual list of Maputo-based health care practitioners, including listings for dentists and optometrists, which is a helpful resource. The British High Commission also publishes a list of medical facilities in Mozambique.
2. Expat Networks and Forums: Connecting with the expat community is highly valuable for personal recommendations. Forums and communities like InterNations Maputo Community can offer advice on finding a doctor, and the EasyExpat Mozambique forum is also a place to seek recommendations. Expats tend to congregate in areas like Sommerschield and Polana, increasing the chance of hearing about trusted, English-speaking professionals there.
3. Insurance Provider Support: International health insurance companies, such as Cigna Global, offer a Multilingual Customer Care team available 24/7. Furthermore, providers like Allianz Care offer a dedicated TeleHealth Hub where members can access doctors via phone or video chat for medical advice and prescriptions.

3. Essential Communication and Payment Protocol

Even when dealing with English-speaking staff, be aware of the following:

• Language Barrier outside Maputo: If you venture outside Maputo or utilize services not primarily catering to expats, be prepared for potential difficulties in communication if you do not speak Portuguese.
• Cash Payment is Common: You will often be expected to pay for treatment in cash upfront. Private facilities typically require direct payment or coverage by private insurance. Always retain all itemized receipts for insurance reimbursement.
• Emergency Contact: While the national emergency number is 117 for an ambulance, these numbers are often unreliable. For serious emergencies, expats are usually advised to contact the private hospital directly (e.g., Maputo Private Hospital or International SOS) or their private medical evacuation service.
• Bring Prescription Medication: Supplies of prescription medication can be scarce or inconsistent even in city pharmacies (farmácia). It is strongly advised to bring a sufficient supply of any essential prescription drugs, along with the original prescription.

Given the high risk of endemic diseases like malaria and the inability of local facilities to handle complex or severe illness/injury, securing comprehensive international health insurance, including robust medical evacuation coverage, remains the single most critical step for expats in Mozambique. This ensures that if specialized treatment is required, you can be transferred swiftly to advanced centers, most commonly in South Africa.

The Cross-Border Solution: Medical Evacuation to South Africa

While Maputo's private facilities offer relief for routine primary care and stabilization, the single most critical factor in expat healthcare planning is the frequent and necessary reliance on neighboring South Africa for specialized, serious, or complex medical treatment.

Why South Africa is the Standard Protocol

The healthcare system in Mozambique, even in its private sector, generally does not meet international standards for advanced or complex care. For expats, the need to travel to South Africa (or sometimes Brazil, India, or Portugal) is common for specialized treatment or intense surgeries.

Reasons for seeking care outside Mozambique include:

• Lack of Resources and Expertise: Even major hospitals in Mozambique may lack the expertise, specialized resources, or equipment (such as advanced diagnostic tools like CT scans and MRIs) to deal with severe illness, serious injuries, or complex cases. The Mozambican health infrastructure is described as weak, with limited medical facilities.
• Elective and Specialized Procedures: Wealthier Mozambicans and most expats often choose to travel to South Africa for elective procedures, or specialist advice, and better dental or eye work.
• High-Risk Situations: Serious illness cases and emergencies are often transferred to South Africa because the expertise and resources are unavailable in Mozambique. Those with more serious illnesses and injury will require more advanced care in South Africa, despite the presence of private medical facilities in Maputo.

The Necessity of Medical Evacuation

In the event of a medical emergency or serious injury in Mozambique, particularly outside of major cities where local facilities are extremely basic, medical evacuation (Medevac) is highly likely to be required.

• Evacuation Destination: South Africa is widely considered the nearest center of medical excellence and specialist care facilities, making it the most common evacuation destination.
• High Cost: Without insurance, the cost of medical evacuation can be prohibitively expensive, potentially starting at ** $20,000** and sometimes exceeding ** $100,000**.
• Logistics: The process involves air ambulance transport, which is determined by the patient's medical condition and adherence to global medical and aviation safety standards. Air Rescue, a leading air ambulance provider in Africa, operates from Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. Some specialized medical assistance providers in Mozambique, such as Medi Response, operate a 24-hour Global Coordination Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, complementing their Maputo operations. Netcare 911 also assists with medical evacuation to the Republic of South Africa.

Insurance is Mandatory for Regional Treatment

Given that local public facilities are inadequate and even private facilities may fall short for serious conditions, securing the correct insurance coverage that explicitly accounts for cross-border care is paramount.

• Comprehensive Coverage: It is absolutely essential to secure comprehensive international health insurance that includes robust medical evacuation coverage.
• Regional Scope: Expats should choose a plan that covers the costs of private hospitalization and possible medical evacuation to South Africa. You must ensure your policy covers treatment in both countries. Some policies are explicitly tailored to include neighboring countries such as South Africa in their international insurance options for obtaining high-quality care.
• Specific Benefits: Certain evacuation insurance plans specifically cover transfer to South Africa and hospitalization if required specialized treatment is unavailable locally. Coverage for air ambulance transport is provided if it is medically necessary and the best way to reach the nearest suitable medical facility.

In short, for expatriates in Mozambique, South Africa functions as the essential quaternary level of care, necessitated by the limits of local infrastructure. Having robust insurance coverage that includes this evacuation bridge is the cornerstone of safe expat living in the country.

Your Healthcare Action Plan

The healthcare reality in Mozambique is defined by resource scarcity and geographical disparity. Your health security relies on two critical pillars:

1. Meticulous Planning Before You Arrive

Medical Supplies:

• Bring sufficient supplies of any essential prescription medications
• Supply can be unreliable even in city pharmacies (farmácias)
• Carry copies of prescriptions and medical records
• Consider bringing a basic medical kit with over-the-counter essentials

Health Assessment:

• Complete a comprehensive health check before departure
• Address any dental work or elective procedures
• Ensure vaccinations are current
• Get copies of all medical records and test results

2. Robust Financial Protection

Invest in comprehensive international health insurance that:

• Includes robust medical evacuation coverage (minimum $100,000)
• Covers treatment in South Africa without restrictions
• Provides 24/7 emergency assistance
• Has no or minimal deductibles for evacuation
• Includes repatriation coverage

Don't Gamble with "Local" Plans: Avoid relying solely on employer-provided local insurance unless it explicitly includes international evacuation coverage. Many local plans don't cover evacuation to South Africa, which could leave you financially devastated in an emergency.

3. Know Your Resources

Before you need them:

• Save emergency numbers for private hospitals in your phone
• Know the location of the nearest private clinic to your home and workplace
• Keep your insurance card and policy number readily accessible
• Establish a relationship with a general practitioner at a private clinic
• Register with your embassy or consulate

Final Thoughts: Healthcare as a Non-Negotiable Budget Item

Healthcare in Mozambique isn't an area where you can cut corners or hope for the best. The gap between public and private care is vast, and the need for potential medical evacuation is real. Many expatriates have faced serious health crises that required immediate evacuation to South Africa—those with proper insurance received life-saving care; those without faced financial ruin.

Think of comprehensive international health insurance not as an expense, but as the foundation of your safety net. It's the difference between a medical emergency being a manageable crisis and a catastrophic life event.

Your adventure in Mozambique can be rewarding and enriching, but it requires you to be realistic about healthcare limitations and prepared for the worst-case scenario. Plan meticulously, insure comprehensively, and you'll have the peace of mind to fully embrace your expat experience.