President Paul Kagame on Thursday evening met with the president of Rotary International, K.R. Ravindran, a meeting at which the two discussed the rotarians' contribution to various projects in Rwanda.

Addressing the media shortly after the meeting held at Serena Kigali Hotel, Ravindran said that the discussion mainly centred on how Rotary International can work with Rwanda in further enhancing the health sector.

"We expressed our appreciation (of what has been achieved) and in the course of the conversation, we begun to understand why this country has been able to develop thus far—you have a phenomenal leader,” Ravindran, a Sri Lankan, told reporters.

He added that, "there is a lot that we have discussed in the medical field, on what we can do with Rwanda.”

Rotary International is a global network of community volunteers and one of the largest and most influential humanitarian service organisations worldwide.

Ravindran, who is first Rotary international president to visit Rwanda in the organisation's 111-year-old history, was in the country as part of a Medicare mission consisting of a team of experienced doctors specialised in plastic and orthopedic surgery.

The 4th Rotary Medicare Mission which begun on February 26, took place in Kigali, through which more than 300 patients received free orthopaedic and ENT (ear, nose and throat) corrective surgeries.

The operations were held at the University Central Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) and Rwanda Military Hospital.

Rajendra K Saboo, a former president of Rotary International, who is also part of the mission in Rwanda, said that even at the end of the exercise, they were looking at dispatching more 'super specialists' to Rwanda, to train local medics.

"We discussed with the President particularly on the medical mission we just had here. It’s the fourth time we are in this great country and we discussed the possibilities of how the relationships in the health sector—which is one of the basic factors in human development—could be further elevated,” Saboo said.

Over the past three years, the medical teams from Rotary International have been able to provide treatment and corrective surgeries to over 600 vulnerable Rwandans.

"In addition, we offered to have 20 children from Rwanda going to India for open heart surgery, and 10 doctors from here going to learn and also have the experience in an Indian hospital. Once they are there, we will take care of teaching and experience expenses for three months,” said Saboo, himself an Indian national.

The Rwandan doctors will be given training in anesthesiology and urology, he said.

Meanwhile, Ravindran commended President Kagame’s leadership, which he says has been the reason for the country’s steadfast development.

"Rwanda is just fabulous. It is the best place in Africa I have been to now. I go back home wishing every president and the first lady were like them; it means that they have the interests of the people at heart all the time. They are just building the country,” he said.

Founded in Chicago, United States on 23 February 1905, the organisation today boasts of over 1.2 million members subscribing to 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw