THE Rwanda Medical Council (RMC) is investigating reports of medical malpractices that allegedly led to the death of a patient at La Croix Du Sud hospital in Kigali.The Council says it receives a number of complaints; though some turn out to be baseless allegations.Such reports, however, show there is minimal confidence in the health providers.Health professionals believe that even with well-educated and diligent health providers, from the most highly trained specialist doctors and nurses, without trust, patients will not seek health services, and care providers may not sufficiently improve their efforts to increase the quality of the care they deliver.There is, therefore, a need to build the patients’ confidence in the health system.For long, we have heard of cases of patients who would prefer to travel abroad for treatment, choosing to pay more for even basic services that are adequately available in the country.Cases of medical malpractices do not only lead to loss of trust in the health system, but also damage the reputation of a sector that has recorded remarkable achievements.One way to restore the lost trust is setting high standards for the recruitment and training of medical practioners.The National Council of Nurses and Midwives (NCNM) should be strengthened, giving it the capacity to effectively vet health personnel before they begin work. The Council should also have the capacity to monitor performance of nurses.Having trained nurses will go a long way in ensuring that medical malpractices are reduced, thus restoring the lost trust.Hospitals should also invest in training their staff regularly.
