BUGESERA - The Minister of Health, Dr Agnes Binangwaho, yesterday, stressed that doctors should keep off administrative and financial issues at their respective medical facilities.

She stated that doctors’ responsibility should be patients’ health and not signing cheques or handling day-to-day management of hospitals.

Binagwaho sounded the warning during her visit to Nyamata Hospital where she was given a guided tour around the facility by Bugesera mayor, Louis Rwagaju.

She noted that when doctors mix medical with management issues, it imposes a huge burden on them, stressing that they are only trained to treat people.

"Doctors are trained to treat patients and not to manage (hospitals) so it would be too much for them to get into other technical issues like finance,” the minister said.

She added that as a result, a diploma course on hospital management was initiated to equip others with such skills and knowledge.

During her visit, she gave time to the hospital staff to air their grievances and other issues hindering effective service delivery.

Among the issues highlighted was arrears totaling Rfw272m owed to the hospital for the national medical insurance cover dubbed Mutuelle de Santé.

The minister promised that her ministry would clear the debt in 15 days.

Mayor Rwagaju said that one of the major challenges is the fact that the hospital cannot accommodate the many patients since the population of the district is so high.

"There is need for expansion of the hospital. It receives so many patients some of whom travel from as far as Kamabuye and other places.

If the hospital gets another branch in the district, then they would all receive a reasonable number of patients,” the mayor said.

Emilien Mukashema, 53 a lady who had come for treatment at the hospital said that she was pleased with the medical services offered by this hospital.

She cited the mosquito nets that have helped reduce malaria cases in Nyamata.

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