Rwandan and US military doctors on Wednesday, January 17, met Rwamagana District officials to discuss how best they can conduct a medical outreach exercise scheduled for mid-March.
The teams that met District officials are led by Rwanda Defence Force's Lt Col Dr. John Bukuru and the US Army's Lt Col Angera Ling. Rwamagana District Mayor Radjab Mbonyumuvunyi, told The New Times that the move is part of RDF’s regular citizen-outreach-programme, in which the army carries out activities geared towards the socio-economic development of citizens.
The military doctors will provide healthcare services including orthopedics, general surgery, dental, gynecology, and eye care, to locals in the district.
He said: "The medical teams will operate from three sites: Rwamagana Hospital, Mwulire Health Centre, and Gahini Hospital. Depending on the doctor-to-patient ratio, patients could occasionally have to wait for the availability of a medical expert; the missions will be beneficial because a certain number of critical cases are given immediate attention.”
Besides providing health care services, the RDF citizen outreach programme includes other activities such as constructing homes for vulnerable people and controlling soil erosion, among others.
Patients who need eye care and orthopedic services will go to Gahini Hospital, while others will go to Mwulire Health Center and Rwamagana Hospital.