First Lady inaugurates Police hospital

The First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, yesterday, officially inaugurated the Kacyiru Police Hospital located near the Rwanda National Police headquarters in Kacyiru. The hospital consists of an impressive maternity ward and the Isange Gender Based Violence (GBV) one stop centre.Since she launched the Family Package project in 2002 at Kacyiru health centre, the First Lady has been advocating for the centre to expand its facilities to better serve the needs of the community. Family Package is a project that builds on the benefits of the national PMTCT program by extending basic care and other services to families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. During the colourful ceremony, the Commissioner General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, acknowledged Mrs. Kagame’s continuous interventions towards improving health citing that she is the reason why the hospital is now a reality. “Your support has transformed our ideas and vision into this facility that ensures health care for a lot of people in this country,” Gasana said. “All Rwandans know that your commitment to the health and well-being of the citizens is unconditional and this is another initiative that aims at advancing progress in Rwanda.” With reference to the on-going weekly activities that are being held countrywide to commemorate RNP’s 10th anniversary, the Commissioner noted that inauguration of this facility couldn’t have come at a better time. “Among the activities, was an awareness campaign on GBV which we are concluding today. Part of it has been to sensitize the victims of GBV to utilize the services provided by the Isange one stop centre which is housed by this facility,” he explained. “We would like to emphasise that this hospital has contributed and will continue to increase access to all these services to the general population.” Officials also said that in the long-term the use of information technology and communication systems will also be introduced as a strategy to improve health service delivery. The new maternity wing has two huge wards, 6 private rooms and two operating theatres. The facility is also equipped with incubators and will soon acquire oxygen facilities. The hospital’s Director of Medical Services, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr. Wilson Rubanzana, and at the hospital, explained that a good, equipped maternity ward was needed to ensure that HIV infected mothers deliver healthy babies that are free from the virus. “The number of women (in Rwanda) that die giving birth is 751 per 100,000 live births and this is unacceptable,” he said. In developed countries only 5 out of every 100,000 women die of pregnancy complications Rubanzana, therefore, said that in a bid to accelerate the country’s maternal health progress, medics at the hospital are determined to play their role now that such a facility is in place. This hospital now has 106 medical professionals that offer high quality services to patients. Rubanzana pointed out that the Isange centre, that was established in July last year to cater for victims of child, domestic and gender based violence, has so far attended to 761 victims. The Centre offers a complete package - a safe home to protect victims from further violence, medical treatment, counseling and forensic services that help in apprehending perpetrators. The inaugural ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Musa Fazil Harerimana, as well as the dignitaries who visited the country to attend an international forum on gender equality and women empowerment. The forum started Monday and was preceded by a One Million Women March on Sunday. Ends