Rwanda has what it takes to 'become health tourism hub'

Two delegates from SevenHills Hospital, one of the biggest healthcare providers around the globe were in the country to forge a partnership with the Government that will improve the health care sector. The group toured many hospitals and health centres around the country. The New Times’ Solomon Asaba caught up with Indranil Mitra, the Vice President, International Relations and Archana Bhalla, the manager in charge of Branding and Relationship management at SevenHills Hospital. Below are the excerpts: This is not your first time here, could you tell us what brings you to Rwanda? Mitra: We have been working with the Rwanda Development Board in efforts to train nurses. There is a batch of nurses from Butaro Hospital who have been trained in nursing and medical education. Even this time round, our visit is meant to ensure that more of such exchange programmes continue to uplift the health care standards. This also warrants that Rwanda remains at par with the rest of the world in health care provision. So how does this procedure work? Bhalla: The arrangement is for us to offer whatever academic programme or internship by assisting the students to get the valid visas for the years they are going to stay in India. This of course requires making arrangements for accommodation in Mumbai and also ensuring that both security and nutritional needs are sufficient. Only the health welfare is left at the discretion of the government or the institutions responsible for sending them. Are there any specific programmes you are targeting within the health sector? Bhalla: There are various programmes like nursing education, training for the doctors, internships just to provide support for the trainees to learn advanced procedures and treatment options. Whether it is laparoscopy or anything for that matter paramedical staff training is also essential and that is the reason it was included in all health fields such as biomedical engineering. How does Rwanda’s health care system compare with that of India? Bhalla: The only difference is the competences and skills, which we are offering at the moment. For example the three Butaro hospital nurses that we trained were offered other 48 nurses to train in various fields. While we target the next batch to come and get training, this is already a step forward. The other thing to point out is that advanced chemotherapy is an area that needs focus in the country. We are delighted to see that Rwanda Military Hospital Kanombe is coming up with the department soon. In that perspective Rwandan nurses also need training in chemotherapy. How long would such training in chemotherapy take? Bhalla: It depends on a number of factors like, how much time they want to spend and the specialty but that should be three to six months. Mitra: Depending on the discipline for nurses it can be for a period of a few months. Doctors also can enhance their skills through observations. For example if you have a surgery technique that is unique to both Rwanda and India, doctors who come and observe even perfect in that area. That way they can come back and do it well in Rwanda. Having moved around health centres in this country what conclusions can you draw in line with government’s commitment to making Rwanda a hub for health tourism? Bhalla: Hospitals in Rwanda are good and well maintained from the hygiene to other necessary materials. Rwanda’s health sector is also doing great especially with the implementation of relevant policies. However, the only area where there is still room for improvement is the technology in disciplines like radiation, robotic surgery, cyber knifes among many other things. Mitra: Like she has already talked about technology, I think the man behind the machine is important. You can’t use technology when you don’t have the people to run the technology. That is where emphasis is needed to train people by uplifting their competences and skills. Of course with time it is possible to become self-dependent and train others. Bhalla speaks during the interview with The New Times. (Solomon Asaba) In your view, which gaps do you think we should plug to have better health services? Mitra: It is the competences, manpower and technology; those are the three key areas for me. Bhalla: It is important to improve areas like the MRI. The good thing is that some people have already received sufficient training on the medical tourism department. It is an area where skills are needed and basing on the history of India as country with top most medical tourism department, our training was essential. Within Rwanda, we need customers (patients) in this department not to be just satisfied but delighted. That is the focus so after the training, people can groom others to better handle issues of medical tourism in hospitals such as King Faisal, Kanombe, University Teaching Hospital (CHUK) or any private facility. This is the one thing that will attract the neighboring countries. For example once Kanombe finalises the radiation, they can apply to Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and others to ensure that patients come to Rwanda for radiation oncology. This is because the patient will be comfortable of the language, the food among other necessities. Cardiac surgery is one of the areas where India has made huge progress especially at the SevenHills hospital; do you think Rwanda is just an edge closer to offering similar services? Mitra: Of course, a lot of developing countries are in need of cardiac surgeries. All that is required for these surgeries is the equipment, the surgeons and the theatres. You need also the paramedics, the nurses and if you have everything plus the necessary technology, it is very possible. Rome was not built in one day. There are promising prospects basing on the way people are offering services here. In the near future it will be possible depending on the timeframe. The other positive attribute to Rwanda as a country is that its location is central which is an added advantage toward attracting other African countries. The world is moving towards globalisation, do you in such an era think E-Health is a reality for African countries? Bhalla: Electronic health is a necessity basing on grounds that it reduces the distance between countries to provide health services readily available in one’s home country. In regard to hospitals, it reduces costs on either side making the billing even easier. This is something that is coming up very fast. Mitra: Giving you an example, suppose you have a technology with you, may be an MRI machine or imaging machine and you don’t have the manpower, a technician can do the imaging but the report can be seen by specialists in India or China and teleradiology can be used as well as telemedicine. Even consultation. There is a new concept of EiQ, which is used during treatment. E-Health can also be used during preventive maintenance such as storing reports. Like patients who say that every time I go to a doctor, I cant keep my report, the hospital can keep it and access it electronically when needed. So technology and preventive medicine is something very crucial and it tries to make hospitals paperless. There is also digitalisation of equipment for instance on a larger scale you can operate a fluoroscopy easily with modern equipments. In India it started and in Rwanda it is possible. You don’t have to walk to a chemist to buy drugs; you just have to upload your prescription. Bhalla: With E-Health services becoming simplified, patients don’t have to walk all the time to the doctors, they have to go to the hospital may be once to receive a unique identity number and the rest is kept in the report within a computer. Mitra: On the web portal patients can improve their adherence protocols. Like we have people who forget their medicines, so they have to be reminded. But with technology such as email, the person is reminded and the patient always takes the drugs on time. Reports are also issued on time. A lot of tools are available internationally but the question is how to make people make use of them as well as organisations. For instance we don’t store or stock medicine at our hospital. Bhalla: The moment we get a prescription, we order to the basement where the drugs are located. That particular medicine will come with the help of an automated system. This reduces both the time and the manpower. The other area where much focus is placed is neurosurgery, could you cite a few areas where we need improvement? Bhalla: It is the same thing; you need an experienced surgeon, infrastructure, a supporting nurse in that faculty. That is all is required. These are some of the areas we want to support for the mutual benefit of Rwanda and India. We are working on a couple of things with the government. Rwanda Development Board has been to India before for the same cause and we hope for Positive Corporation. Operations with Rwanda won’t only yield benefits for Kigali but the country as a whole such that we meet people at the grassroots. The other area is the insurance sector where we are weighing up the kind of benefits insurers can receive even in India. Mitra: The Rwandan government and India are interested in promoting tourism and health care for people. We believe this is a good ground for improving health care because the world is becoming a global village and if any country does not adjust, the rest will. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Rwanda has what it takes to 'become health tourism hub'