ON Tuesday May 24, contestants of the prestigious Primus Guma Guma Superstar competition paid a visit to Kanombe Military Hospital (KMH).

The exercise is part of Bralirwa’s corporate social responsibility programme to pay back to its loyal customers.
 
Kanombe Military Hospital is based in Kicukiro District and serves as a referral facility to over 2.1 million people.

Rafiki, J-Polly, King James, Mani Martin, Dr. Claude, Faycal, Dream Boys and Urban Boys were the nine stars who visited the hospital, alongside officials from the East African Promoters.

Lt Col. Jean Pierre Bitega, the Clinical Director gave the artists a brief history of Kanombe Military Hospital, as well as its achievements and objectives, before they toured the hospital’s laboratory. 

In an interview, Lt Col. Bitega told The New Times that it was a pleasure to receive the Primus Guma Guma team at the hospital because most people thought it was a military hospital.

"Many people think Kanombe Military Hospital is for only soldiers, yet in fact, the only military side is the administration.

We are dealing with 80 percent of the civilian population,” Lt Col. Bitega explained.

Artists appreciated the capability that the Rwandan military possessed to provide medical care to the military forces and civilian population.

Primus Guma Guma Superstar competition brings together all facets of the music industry, with one goal to improve the lives of Rwandan artists.

Attendees also visited the hospital’s laboratory sections: Bacteriology, Haematology as well as the Ultrasound room and the Special-X-Ray examination room.

Kanombe Military Hospital has five operating theatres for ophthalmology, orthopedics and general surgery, which enable the hospital to treat a big number of patients.
However, the artists were not able to visit the patients.

"It’s unfair for people to visit the patients without their consent, because some them suffer from complicated diseases and wouldn’t wish to be exposed to the public,” Lt Col. Bitega explained.

He added: "However, we can arrange for a few, who genuinely want to support our patients.”

Teasingly, Lt Col. Bitega said the hospital would revamp a private wing for the winner of Primus Guma Guma Superstar 2011.

James Manzi, alias Humble Jizzo, of the Urban Boys said it was a great opportunity for the artists to visit the hospital.

"It is crucial for us as artists to participate in social activities,” Humble Jizzo noted.

"Apart from being on stage or in studio, it is important to pay back to the community by visiting the sick and supporting the needy,” he added.

Humble Jizzo noted: "As we send healing message through our music, sometimes we need to put the mics down and go to the field.”

During the visit, Joseph Mushyoma, the C.E.O of the East African Promoters, which partnered with Bralirwa to organise the music competition, presented a cheque of Rwf 300.000 to Lt Col. Bitega in support of needy patients.

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