The Government has signed a deal with Oshen Healthcare Rwanda Limited that will see the latter manage King Faisal Hospital, Kigali.

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Rwanda Development Board signed the concession agreement on behalf of the Government, expected to facilitate maintenance, upgrading of hospital infrastructure, financing new investments, and operating services that the hospital provides.

Under the deal, Oshen Healthcare Rwanda Limited is also expected to turn the hospital into a multi-speciality regional referral facility.

The firm will invest Euro 21 million (about Rwf17 billion) for the next five years, according to the deal.

The agreement grants permission to the investor to be able to operate in Rwanda and documents the main roles and responsibilities of both the investor and the Government of Rwanda to ensure King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, is able to operate as a regional referral hospital with several specialities.

The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Amb. Claver Gatete, said: "This investment comes at a time Rwanda’s ambition is to become a medical hub for the region. It is through right investments that the hospital can provide excellent medical services, thus expanding its catchment area.”

Rwanda Development Board chief executive Francis Gatare noted that such initiatives help enhance economic values of the country.

"The provision of world class health care to all Rwandans is a priority for the Government. The private investments to transform King Faisal Hospital into a multi-speciality regional referral hospital provide great economic value,” he said.

The concession is based on performance indicators such as introduction of new procedures, equipment and latest technologies, improvement of management structure and offering training to local professionals in medicine and nursing as well as maintaining the hospital’s conformity to international standards.

"It’s a challenge we are relishing. We have received the right support from government and with the right people we look forward to transforming King Faisal Hospital into a regional referral hospital,” said Alex Lifschitz, the vice-president of Sphere Global Health Care, the firm which is part of Oshen Group SA.

Oshen Healthcare Rwanda Limited is wholly owned by Oshen Group SA.

Dr Emile Rwamasirabo, the chief executive of King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, said the agreement is based on mutual understanding and will not affect the ownership of the hospital as many might think.

"This is a service delivery-based concession agreement, and it’s based on mutual satisfaction agreed among partners. We have not tied it to a long period of time but rather to the delivery of agreed upon servicets,” Dr Rwamasirabo said.

"This is giving us the confidence to believe that this is the best agreement while we are not having any partners rushing to recover investments over a short period of time, but as a partnership meant for delivery of improved and top-notch health care services.”

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