Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente and the Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Wang Xuekun on Thursday, March 30, officially launched the renovation and expansion works of Masaka hospital, which will be the premises of the new University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK).

With a capacity of 837 beds and able to receive 2,000 patients per day, the new hospital located in Kicukiro District will be the biggest general and university teaching hospital in Rwanda, the officials said.

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The current CHUK hospital, located in the center of the capital, has a capacity of around 400 beds.

The construction works, financed by the Chinese government, are planned to conclude in 2025. Construction works began two months ago.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister Ngirente said the hospital’s renovation and expansion will enhance Rwanda’s capacity to provide advanced healthcare services.

"Infrastructure like this one, are a great contribution to our vision, to develop specialties, subspecialities and train much needed health professionals in a short time,” he said.

"Similar efforts are being deployed in other projects for different national referral hospitals such as King Faisal Hospital, Kanombe Hospital and others.”

Ngirente said the project also complements other strategic health services in the area including IRCAD Africa, the Heart Center and other projects that will significantly transform lives, and Kigali City into a major health hub, which is the government’s target.

He commended the partnership of the with the Chinese government.

"Brotherly relations”

The new project, implemented by Shanghai Construction Group, is one of the largest China-aided projects in Rwanda, the Chinese ambassador said, adding that it was testament to the "brotherly relations” the two countries enjoy.

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"This project marks a milestone of health infrastructure cooperation between our two countries,” Wang said.

"China is committed to working with Rwanda to promote the well-being of its people. To that end, China will continue to support the development of Rwanda. It’s my firm belief that, with our joint efforts, the cooperation in health will make even greater achievements.”

Since 1982, China has dispatched 22 medical teams and more than 270 Chinese doctors to Rwanda.

New Kicukiro district hospital

Plans to relocate CHUK to Masaka were announced in 2018.

Masaka hospital was built in 2011, by the Chinese, as the Kicukiro District Hospital. It has the capacity of about 100 beds.

However, according to Minister of Health Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, after the relocation of CHUK, the government will build a new district hospital.

The new CHUK hospital occupying more than eight hectares will include the outpatient and emergency building with the emergency, pediatric and infectious departments in the building.

Technological tools will be introduced in the renovated health facility, including the air compressor room, an oxygen generator station, radiology department, blood bank and laboratory department, central sterile supply department, ultrasound and functional examination rooms, among others.