People spending their time at health care centres in Rwanda undergo different kinds of violence in physical, psychological, or sexual ways, a research conducted in health centres across Rwanda since the middle of last year has concluded.

The research was conducted by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with Intra-health International through its USAID sponsored Capacity Project that supports workforce into the health sector.

The survey involved 297 respondents who were drawn from among nurses, administrative staff, laboratory technicians, and patients in 45 health centres.

39 percent of the respondents indicated that they undergo different kinds of violence while on their way to health centres or when they spend time there.

"What is clear is that there is violence in the health sector. Some of those who work in the sector face physical abuse like beatings, they face psychological abuse in words, and others face gender-based violence like sexual harassment that is especially inflicted to women by men,” said Jeanne d’ Arc Kanakuze, Team Leader of Capacity Project Gender Programme, who coordinated the research.

The research’s findings compiled in a 128 pages-report showed that 7 percent of the respondents were sexually abused, 16 per cent were morally abused, and 27 percent underwent abuse in form of words.

Among the factors found to be influencing these forms of violence include some people’s ignorance, poor infrastructure, and organizational factors at work.

The research also found out that women are more abused than men at work in the health sector because of their social standing and family responsibilities.

Government was concerned with the results of the study, some of its findings being seen as setting back health care services.

Rwanda’s Minister of Public Service, Skills Development, and Labour, Anastase Murekezi, condemned the practice and promised that measures would be taken by the government.

"This rate [of violence at work in the health sector] is shocking and unacceptable,” he said.

He added that there was need to adopt a ‘zero tolerance policy’ to gender based discrimination in order to uproot some of the abuses found at work.

The research was conducted in order to provide findings on which to take measures for a better working environment for the health care workforce in Rwanda, said Capacity Project’s Chief of Party, Dr. Ousmane Faye.

"If we undergo different kind of aggression in our working environment, health professionals will not feel at ease doing their work and some of them will leave their jobs,” he said.

The research recommended the government of Rwanda to design a national policy against violence at workplaces which can be used by the Ministry of Health to come up with a particular policy against the abuses.

It also recommended that any existing laws against violence be disseminated in many areas of work.

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