A special unit focusing on relieving patients’ pain will be started before the end of this year at the Rwanda Military Hospital (RNH) in Kanombe, Kigali, an official at the hospital has said.

Dr. Eugene Ngoga, Clinical Director at RMH, said that this unit will be providing care for those patients brought to the hospital in serious conditions and those with chronicle pain.

He made the remarks during a regional Pain Medicine Symposium for East, Central, and Southern Africa which took place in Kigali on Friday.

The doctor said that some patients have chronicle pain which needs team work to get relieved.

"Despite giving them painkillers, they do not effectively help some patients,” Ngoga said.

Pain killer medications including Panadol, Aspirin, Ibrufen and Diclofenac are used but officials said that there are people whose pain may not be relieved by the painkillers given other body factors.

The Pain Medicine Symposium attracted participants from Kenya, Rwanda, and the United Kingdom among other countries.

It was organised by the RMH in partnership with Aga Khan Universities in Nairobi.