At least 20 Rwandan medical doctors who, last week, concluded training in detecting and treating neurological disorders at early stages have committed to improving quality treatment.

The training, which ran from September 30 to October 4 is part of the East African Development Bank’s Medical Training and Fellowship Programme (METAF).

The programme focuses on building capacity within both the neurological and oncological sub-sectors of medicine.

It targets to increase the number of specialists in neurology and oncology in the East African region.

In partnership with the British Council and the Royal Council of Physicians, the East African Development Bank says it targets to train over 600 medical practitioners by 2020.

Part of the training focused on history taking and examination, headaches, brain tumors, nerve and muscle disease, movement disorders, brain infections, epilepsy, pediatric conditions, stroke and dementia among others.

Anan Mfizi, a pediatric at Central University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) is one of the beneficiaries of the training.

He said: "I have gained a huge package of skills from the training along the whole week. I am going to use the knowledge especially in treating children.”

Mfizi explained that knowledge and experience sharing was helpful during the training.

"We can assure you that we will improve service delivery and quality treatment to patients with neurological disorders. As there is a gap of specialists, we will play a big role in enhancing patients’ access to quality treatment,” he said.

Dr Augustin Sendegeya, the Director General of CHUB urged those trained to go back and practice gained skills and share them with other medical doctors. / Michel Nkurunziza

He noted that, if there is further funding, the doctors could get scholarships to

Specialization requires at least four years of education and currently requires one to travel abroad to study neurology.

Rwanda has only three neurologists with one in CHUK and two at Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital.

"The high cost of funding is one of the challenges that hamper general practitioners from pursuing specialised courses. There’s a need to mobilise more resources in order to increase the number of specialists,” he said.

Dr Augustin Sendegeya, the Director General of CHUB urged the trainees to share the knowledge gained with other doctors.

"There is a government initiative to increase the specialists in many subsectors of medicine including neurology but it is very expensive,” he said

There is need for at least three specialists at each hospital, he disclosed.

World Health Organization recommends at least one neurologist per 1,000 patients.

"Neurology is not yet introduced in masters and PhD programmes in Rwanda but if we get more neurologists, they can come back and help to launch the programme in Rwanda,” he said.

David Odongo, the Acting Head of Business at the East African Development Bank-Rwanda Office, said that together with the British Council, they hope to promote research, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

"We hope to improve the medical supply chain and supportive medical infrastructure and to promote public medical awareness to combat neurological and oncological disease in the region,” he stated.

Under the Royal College of Physicians, we will train 600 medical specialists from East Africa over a 4-year period and this will considerably expand the number of specialists in neurology and oncology in East Africa and thus the available treatment to our citizens he said.

He noted that they hope to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on healthcare.

"Non-communicable diseases are a low priority compared to communicable diseases and are typically increasing across East Africa. In particular cancer and neurological diseases have become more commonplace,” Odongo disclosed. 

In reality, he said, these diseases have risen globally.

And that there’s a stark difference in the outcome of diagnosis in East Africa when compared to developed countries.

"More developed nations, who are better equipped in the skills needed for disease prevention, early detection and treatment have achieved a decline in the number of deaths caused by neurological and oncological disease, despite a rising number of cases,” he said.

At the East African Development Bank, he says, "we believe that there is no reason for East Africa to suffer disease more acutely than any other country.” 

East Africa should boast one of the lowest mortality rates from non-communicable diseases in the world, he said.