Origins of Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) can be traced back in 1910 to 1920s known as Sewahaji Hospital. In 1956 the name changed to Princess Margareth Hospital. Soon after independence in 1961 it was named Muhimbili Hospital to 1976 when it changed to Muhimbili Medical Centre. Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) was established by the MNH ACT of Parliament No. 5 of 2000 by separation of the then Muhimbili Medical Centre (MMC) into Muhimbili National Hospital and the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS), now Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). Separation was effected in November 2004.

The essence of separating MMC and MUCHS was to make MNH more efficient become an accredited center of excellence for hospital care in Africa by 2015, provide a conducive teaching environment for training medical and allied health personnel, become a renown center of medical research in Africa, continuously develop its human resources, achieve financial sustainability, promote the aims of health sector reform by strengthening links with other levels of care in the referral system.

MNH is National Referral Hospital and University Teaching Hospital with 1,500 bed facility, attending 1,000 to 1,200 outpatients week, admitting 1,000 to 1,200 inpatients per week.

It has 2700 employees of which 300 are doctors and specialists, 900 registered & enrolled nurses and the rest are supporting operations employees. MNH is organized into seven directorates which are Clinical Services, Nursing Services & Quality, Clinical Support Services, Human Resources, Finance and Planning, Technical Services, and Information & Communications Technology; it has 25 departments and 106 units.