Ten medics, including nine nurses and one doctor at Kabgayi District Hospital, have been relieved of their duties for allegedly breaching professional ethics.

Health minister Dr Agnes Binagwaho ordered the suspension of the medics on Thursday, according to a ministry statement.

"A total of 10 health professionals including some from Kabgayi District hospital and others from health centres supervised by the hospital, were suspended over failure to observe medical ethics and failure to perform their duties,” reads the statement sent to The New Times in part.

"During the execution of their duties, the suspended health professionals displayed a high degree of unprofessionalism, putting the lives of the people they serve at risk,” the statement adds.

"While on suspension, the Medical Council, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council will carry out investigations.”

Meanwhile, a new acting director for the district hospital, Dr Patrick Umuhoza, was appointed on the same day.

The Saturday Times established that the suspension, among other reasons, was due to the fact that some of the affected medical workers had wrongly prescribed medicine to children living with HIV/Aids which put them into critical conditions.

"We will not accommodate poor performance,” Binagwaho is quoted on the MoH Tweeter page as saying, while addressing the hospital staff on Thursday.

A member of the Rwanda Medical and Dental Council, a professional, administrative and jurisdictional body that defends and oversees the medical profession, told this paper yesterday that it is the minister’s prerogative to take such decision.

"We will listen to both sides during our investigations and, if possible, call for negotiations,” said the medic who preferred anonymity.