In a bid to enhance the quality of services offered to Rwandans, King Faisal Hospital, Kigali has embarked on improving skills within orthopedics to ensure better services.

During a four-day medical camp that started Monday, the hospital’s department of orthopedics offered a series of procedures that previously necessitated patients to travel abroad.

The camp also saw practitioners at the hospital trained in handling complicated cases, an exercise that is led by Prof. Sheo Tibrewal, a consultant orthopedic surgeon with BMI Blackheath Hospital, London.

Over 42 patients had by Wednesday received clinical services and over 12 patients received surgical procedures, which according to the hospital are normally referred to foreign hospitals.

In an interview with The New Times, Tibrewal said that orthopedic services in Rwanda are encouraging though more needs to be done.

"Some joint surgery procedures have been carried out here but embracing new technologies to advance them can be of help. This is why we have been focused on new techniques of doing arthroscopic surgery or key-hole surgery for the ankle and shoulder joints which have not been done here,” Tibrewal said.

Dr Emmanuel Bukara a consultant orthopedic surgeon at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali commended Tibrewal’s actions saying that they came at the right time because more orthopedic surgeons are needed in the country.

So far, there are only 12 orthopedic surgeons in the country, a ratio of 1 surgeon per one million Rwandans.

"It’s a great blessing to have Professor Tibrewal join us here and see that the services provided to our patients are of quality. We have been doing quite a number of procedures for the past few years but we have been looking forward to start doing other joint ones like shoulder and ankle. We also hope to do wrist and hip joint surgeries in the future,” he said.

With the training, Bukara believes that their services will be improved with the new expertise and more patients will have access to them.

"The bottom-line is, after the training, we are to increase on the number of patients attended to and the scope of our practice definitely.”

Prof. Alex Butera, the chief consultant orthopedic Surgeon, said that the future of surgery in the world lies with provision, innovation, and artificial intelligence.

He commended the surgeries introduced, saying that, aside from the patients’ health care improving, the country’s health system is yet to advance.

"Its technology innovation but there is still more which is needed to be done. When you want to be among the best, the journey can be long but we are ready to embark on it to ensure our development as Rwandans.”

editorial@newtimes.co.rw