Michelline Batamuriza, a 47-year-old resident of Kazo Sector in Ngoma District, has witnessed the transformative impact of a newly constructed Kazo Health Center, which improved access to family planning services, empowering her to take control of her own health and well-being.

Previously, the mother of five had to travel long distances to Mutendeli and Kibungo health centers to access family planning services, which she says was costly and time-consuming. She is grateful for the nearby health center because it has saved her time and money, allowing her to prioritize her family and work responsibilities.

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She said: "We had to travel long distances to receive basic healthcare services, mainly family planning and maternal services, spending Rwf3,000 on a round trip to the health centers. The nearest health facility is Mutenderi, which is 15 kilometers from here, or Kibungo Health Center, which is also over 10 kilometers from here.”

Community health worker Vestine Mukandayisenga in Gahurire Cell monitors 76 homes in her zone. She said that due to the long distances travelled to health centers from Kazo, pregnant women could miss pregnancy check-ups and important prenatal care. However, with the new health center, Vestine has seen a significant improvement in health.

She said: "Prenatal checkups increased from four to eight before giving birth; it was difficult for pregnant women to travel long distances eight times for checkups, and sometimes this affected the babies.

"The same applies to family planning; for example, of the 10 women I could have on the list for family planning, only two of them could reach the health centers as others could have failed because they never had enough money to make the trip to Mutendeli and Kibungo health centers."

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Equipped with modern medical equipment and infrastructure, the new health center offers services including prenatal checkups, family planning, vaccinations, general consultations, and emergency care.

According to Camarade Shumbusho, the director of Kazo Health Center, the convenience of having a well-equipped health center closer to the community encouraged more people to seek medical care.

He said: "Kazo Sector is home to over 30,000 residents; the sector never had a health center, and this affected access to health services for residents. But since the establishment of the health center, we have seen an increase, from 600 to 1,300, of patients seeking medical services, in June. We offer maternity services, consultations, minor surgeries, and ultrasound scans for pregnant women, among others."

The new health facility not only serves residents of Kazo but also rural folks from other sectors including Mutendeli, Gishanda and Rurenge.