Rwanda Biomedical Centre has inaugurated Rwanda’s first ophthalmological community centre, in a bid to bring comprehensive eye treatment services close to the people, and at an affordable cost.

The facility, which was launched at Kibagabaga Hospital will offer specialized ophthalmological treatment services to patients, at Mutuelle de Sante prices.

The ophthalmological centre whose launch coincided with World Sight Day that is marked every year on October 8, is equipped with surgical and refractive services with state-of-the-art equipment.

It has the capacity to handle more than 700 patients a month, according to Dr. Olive Mukeshimana, the Director of Kibagabaga Hospital.

She said that previously, they had a small ophthalmological department that handled between 250-300 patients a month.

"But even most of them ended up being transferred to other hospitals. Now that we have this new facility, we will be able to cure more than 700 patients with specialized ophthalmologists,” she said.

The facility cost Rwf115 million to set up.

Dancille Kansayiza, 74, who is a resident of Nyacyonga, in Jabana Sector, Gasabo District was at the hospital on Thursday, after surgical operation on her left eye.

"I had a problem in my left eye, and our local clinic prescribed eyeglasses for me. But that did not help me; I started to progressively lose sight but when I came here, they identified the disease, and gave an appointment for October 7, and this is when the operation took place,” she said.

She said that a few hours after the operation, she regained her sight.

"They carried out the operation for only Rwf7500! Look, now I can see,” she said.

Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, the Director-General of Rwanda Biomedical Center, used the opportunity to urge all Rwandans to be cautious on ophthalmological services.

"The figures we have indicate that more than 50,000 Rwandans have different eye defects. The beauty of this is that 80% of those are curable”, he told the audience.

"So, most people think that such conditions are caused by bad luck or witchcraft but it’s not. So, tell your friends to tell your friends, so we can all take care of our sight”, he added.

Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology started in 2008 with one doctor, being started by Professor Ciku Mathenge, a Kenyan ophthalmologist with more than 40 years of experience and Lieutenant Colonel John Nkurikiye, a senior army official and a medical doctor.