KARONGI – Health partners and patients, who get services from Kibuye Hospital on credit, have failed to settle a debt of about Rwf133m for the services they received. The hospital’s Director, Dr Cyrille Dusengamungu, revealed this yesterday while reacting to reported complaints of poor work conditions, which were raised by the medical staff. The medics last week threatened to strike over poor housing and inadequate medical equipment. The leading defaulters are Rwanda Health Insurance Scheme (RAMA) and Military Medical Insurance (MMI), according to the doctor. Dr. Dusengamungu acknowledged the existing poor working conditions, but attributed it to budgetary constraints at the 56-year old hospital. “Some of the improvement work required is beyond the hospital’s ability because our income is very meagre. Government should intervene and replace the old equipments and work on the staff quarters,” he said. He noted that the hospital faces a lot of constraints even though the Ministry of Health has done enough to ensure that doctors’ salaries are always availed on time. The hospital’s expenditures, he said, exceed their income.For example last month alone, the hospital expected an income of over Rfw8m but only Rfw1.9m has been received. “We had not received money for health insurance since January last year, until two days ago when a fraction of it was paid. There is no way doctors can be motivated under such conditions,” he said. Each resident pays Rwf1000 for health insurance. And it is understood that hospitals get a fraction of money to supplement on residents’ contributions from the Ministry of Health. Dusengamungu however, cautioned the medical practitioners against washing their dirty linen in public, saying it undermines their professional ethics. Dative Simbi Mukabalisa, Karongi District vice-Mayor, in charge of Social Affairs, promised to look into the alleged poor conditions. “We shall critically analyse the issues to make sure that work at the hospital is not stalled,” she said. Ends
