Rwandan Association for the Promotion of Family Welfare (Arbef) has refuted rumours that its clinics have been closed. “I want to categorically refute these claims; our clinics are operational and have never closed,” Arbef board chairman Jerome Mbonirema said at a press briefing yesterday. Claims that Arbef had closed its clinics followed last year’s wrangles within the NGO that resulted from a series of disagreements between the then board and the executive committee with accusations and counter-accusations of nepotism, mismanagement of funds and interference. Where it started However, after government intervened and resolved the wrangles, Arbef, which runs about five clinics across the country started, facing a new challenge of low patients turnout. Arbef Executive Director Laurien Nyabyenda cited a scenario that may have led to the rumour, saying during the wrangles ‘some people’ attempted to attack staff of Arbef clinic in Kigali, forcing doctors to close for about two hours. “The elements that attempted to attack workers at our clinic are the same people that spread the rumours that we had closed down,” Dr Nyabyenda said. This paper visited one of the clinics located at Muhima to verify the claims and found the facility open and operational. The coordinator of the clinic, Anonciata Nyirakarehe, said they have never ceased operations. “Three people have called me asking if we closed or why we closed and I told them we have never closed,” Nyirakarehe said. Arbef clinics provide medical care for family-related concerns such as voluntary testing and counselling, HIV/Aids treatment, family planning, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual and reproductive health, among others.
