Police Hospital, Kacyiru, yesterday, received a laparoscopy machine worth $94,000 (about Rwf59m) that will be used in aiding modern surgery for women. A laparoscopy is a modern machine that guides accurate diagnostic techniques whereby a thin, lighted tube is used and put through an incision in the stomach of a woman to observe abdominal organs (the female pelvic organs) for any malfunctions.The machine was donated by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).The modern practice of using laparoscopy machine lowers chances of damage to body tissues, organs and muscles so that the patient recovers faster and experiences fewer post- operative complications and pain.The Police Hospital has become the fifth in the country to own the machine. Others include King Faisal Hospital-Rwanda, Kigali Central Teaching Hospital, Rwanda Military Hospital and the Teaching Hospital of Butare.Dr Daniel Nyamaswa, the hospital’s director, said the laparoscopy machine will be helpful since the hospital receives many cases of people who have been sexually abused.He said the machine can detect everything inside one’s stomach without having to dissect the tummy."The new equipment will also help us in forensic medicine. We will also be able to get samples and send them to laboratories for testing. This is going to improve service delivery to our patients,” Dr Nyamaswa said.FunctionsHe said the machine can be used to evaluate the pelvis and fallopian tubes in cases of infertility.Dr Nyamaswa added that they have been sending patients whose condition need surgery for examination at other facilities with the machine.Cheikh Fall, who represented UNFPA at the hand-over ceremony, said the machine will greatly improve the quality of diagnosis, especially for patients who would otherwise not afford the procedure in other hospitals, thus contributing to the reduction in maternal mortality.Fall said it is important to have staff with specialised knowledge in operating the machine so the hospital does not hire external experts."We must bear in mind that quality healthcare is capital-intensive and is never fully achieved because needs for health services change with time. You should, therefore, focus on ongoing improvement of services and applying new and modern technology like this machine,” he said.Dr Laurent Munyanyinda, a gynaecologist at the Police Hospital, said the equipment can be used when someone has a problem in their uterus, gall bladder or if they have fibroids."The machine can also be used for people who are infertile, which makes it a handy tool for gynaecology,” Dr Munyanyinda said, adding that the machine will simplify diagnosis for women who fail to give birth or are thought to be infertile.