The Rwanda Uro-Nephrology centre that will give care to patients with kidney disease and other organ complications, was launched, yesterday, at King Faisal Hospital (KFH)

The centre has a haemodialysis unit which deals in removal of waste products from the patient such as creatinine and urea as well as water from blood when the kidneys are in renal failure.

According to Dr. Joseph Ntarindwa the Head of the Uro-Nephrology centre, it will champion research in kidney diseases in the country and it will encompass both Nephrology and surgical services.

"The haemodialysis unit has come after a long wait when it is so much needed in the country,” he said.

He added that, before 1994, no data existed but certainly kidney disease was present but there was no effort to focus on the problem.

Ntarindwa explained that cases of the chronic kidney disease was seen to be one of the many referred and in 2004 they started a peritoneal dialysis programme which was an in- patient programme and consequently they organized for the first patients to go abroad for kidney transplant.

"To date patients who were transplanted are 19 in number and are alive and living active lives under our close follow up,” he noted.

The haemodialysis unit is made up of two components one with water purification capacity to run 15 machines and another with the capacity to run 10.

"Currently we have 7 machines but we have the capacity to run 15 machines, this means that if the demand increases, we shall buy up to 8 machines,” Ntarindwa underscored.

While speaking at the event, the Minister of Health, Dr. Richard Sezibera, said that the centre is part of transforming KFH into a centre of excellence and the government of Rwanda’s vision in terms of better health among the people.

"This is a great step we have taken in the health care sector, we now have the equipment and shall continue using the available means to get more equipment for the centre,” he noted.

He called upon doctors and nurses at the hospital to improve on the quality of services as the government continues to improve on the number of equipment.

"What we have done today is something which was unthinkable to many people a few years ago because there was skepticism when we said that we are going to have a first Uro- Nephrology centre,” Sezibera said.

He added that, President Paul Kagame is committed to turn KFH into a centre of excellence because he is very keen to improve health care in the country.

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