The World Endoscopy Organisation (WEO) has recognised King Faisal Hospital and the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) as international centres of training in internal medicine.

There were only two such centres in Africa, one in Ethiopia and the other in Kenya.

With the new capacity, Rwanda's major teaching hospitals will train specialists in internal medicine who are able to provide the region's needed care in gastroenterology and hepatology, which focus on treatment of stomach and liver diseases.

In May this year, Rwanda started a gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship programme as part of the health ministry's long-term capacity-building plan for health professionals’ training.

"The recognition of our two teaching hospitals by the World Endoscopy Organisation is another achievement to celebrate with firm commitment to keep going forward and meet international standards in medical education and patients care,” Dr Daniel Ngamije, the Minister of Health, said on Saturday, October 29.

"Liver and stomach are among the top five cancers in Rwanda. So, we need to provide adequate care to the patients coming with those two diseases. Together, we will invest resources to avail state of the art medical equipment and modern medical infrastructure,” Ngamije said.

He added that the development was in line with the country’s vision of becoming a regional hub in provision of medical services.

Speaking to the two hospitals management teams, Prof Dua Kulwinder, the chair of WEO's Outreach Committee, said Kigali’s hosting two centres in one city was a ‘unique’ fact.

"All the people in Africa, who will come for training, will not only see what services you all can offer so that they can send patients from their countries over here, but they will be always connected with you,” said Kulwinder, who led a delegation from the global endoscopy body. "Therefore, I am very pleased that we have two centres.”

He added that they were planning to start working at the Rwanda Military Hospital, and that he would not be surprised if Kigali got the third WEO training centre.