MUSANZE - The Minister of Health, Dr Richard Sezibera, has said Ruhengeri Hospital in the Northern Province will be upgraded to become a regional referral facility, well-equipped to handle more patients. 

The Minister disclosed this after visiting the hospital, where he met health workers.

He added that specialists, nurses, hospital equipment and the budget will be increased in order to accommodate the surging number of patients’. 

Ruhengeri Hospital which has 17 medical doctors and receives over 150 patients per day, according to hospital sources.

It only has two ambulances, and lacks enough medical equipment to handle a big number of patients referred from district health centres.

"The hospital receives patients from all over the province, yet it is considered and equipped as a district hospital. If it is upgraded, it will be in position to offer better services,’’ Dr John Karach, the hospital’s director said. 

Karach said that the hospital is owed over Rwf260m through the communal health insurance scheme (Mutuelle de Sante)  which is supposed to be paid by the Ministry of Health.

After meeting with the hospital staff and later with over 1,000 community health workers, Dr Sezibera noted that more efforts are needed to encourage women to deliver from the health units as a way of reducing child and maternal deaths in the area.  

He challenged community health councillors to encourage men to embrace family planning practices, noting that polygamous practices have been the root cause of malnutrition, especially in rural communities.  

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