A kitchen facility has been unveiled at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), promising to improve nutritional benefits for patients, caregivers, staff. This initiative ensures access to nutritious and affordable meals while allowing hospital staff to save time otherwise spent seeking meals outside the hospital. The facility has the capacity to produce up to 8,000 meals daily, and utilises semi-automated technology operated by a team of eight to ten chefs. With a design that prevents cross-contamination through separate entry and exit flows, the kitchen is equipped with cold storage facilities, including freezers and refrigerators, to preserve food quality. Meals are prepared using fresh, locally sourced foodstuff. ALSO READ: Inside Solid Africa's kitchen that provides 5,000 meals to needy patients in hospitals Officially launched on January 3, by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Solid Africa, a non-profit organisation, the kitchen has clean energy practices and will be bound by rigorous standards of food safety and operational efficiency. Zachee Iyakaremye, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, highlighted the kitchen’s role in ensuring affordable and nutritious food for patients. He noted that this facility marks the beginning of a broader initiative to establish similar facilities in hospitals across the country. We are just starting here at CHUK, but similar kitchens are under construction at Nyamata Level Two Teaching Hospital in Bugesera District and Remera Rukoma District Hospital in Kamonyi District. After this pilot phase, we aim to expand to all district hospitals, ensuring food is available to patients, Iyakaremye said. He further explained that the initiative was conceptualised during the COVID-19 pandemic to formalise food provision as an essential service that complements medical treatment. This kitchen represents a shift towards recognising food as a vital component of healthcare. he added. Dr Tharcisse Mpunga, Director General of CHUK, celebrated the inauguration as a critical facility in service delivery to patients. Today, we mark a new chapter in healthcare. With comprehensive support from Solid Africa, food will now be prepared and served directly within the hospital. For two years, I have worked here without a proper lunch break, but this kitchen changes everything, Dr Mpunga said. He assured the public of the food's quality and pledged to meet the expectations of patients and staff alike. Donatha Mukamazimpaka, an attendant from Ngoma District who has been supporting a mother of a premature baby born at six months, shared her experience at CHUK. Being at CHUK for three months, I’ve witnessed how timely and free meals from Solid Africa have relieved us of significant stress. It’s a blessing for those who cannot afford food, she said, highlighting the critical role of such initiatives in supporting vulnerable patients and their families. Similarly, Jean Nsanzabaganwa, a father of four from Shyorongi, Rulindo District, expressed gratitude for the meals provided during his five-month stay at the hospital. Feeding my child and myself here would have been financially impossible without this support. Warm meals prepared from this kitchen will surely benefit patients, he said. Isabelle Kamariza, founder of Solid Africa, emphasised the collaborative efforts with CHUK to identify patients in need. Previously, we transported meals from Nyamata, but with the kitchen now within the hospital, it will ensure faster, safer, and more accessible meals, Kamariza said. This initiative also promises to partner with over 4,500 smallholder farmers, reducing post-harvest losses, and boosting their incomes. The plan is to expand this network to include 50,000 farmers within the next five years, creating sustainable economic opportunities. To ensure sustainability, revenue from meals sold to hospital staff and visitors will be reinvested into the kitchen’s maintenance and expansion. Operating round-the-clock, the facility is supported by comprehensive insurance coverage, ensuring uninterrupted services.
