Four hospitals and several other health centres in the City of Kigali have received an assortment of medical equipment worth Euros 5.3m (about Rwf4.9bn).The recipient hospitals are the University Teaching Hospital Kigali (CHUK), Muhima, Kibagabaga and Rwanda Military Hospital - Kanombe.The equipment, courtesy of the Belgian Development Agency (BTC) was handed over last week.CHUK received a 64-clice CT-scan, echographs ultrasound equipment, operating room radioscopy, oxygen plant, resuscitation machines in neonatology (paediatrics) worth Euros 2.8m, according to Gratien Gasaba, the co-director of institutional support programme of the strategic health development plan of BTC.Muhima Hospital’s outpatient department was rehabilitated while the maternity department got equipment worth Rwf377 million. Kibagabaga Hospital also got maternity equipment, neonatology and surgery services, while Rwanda Military Hospital - Kanombe received a water treatment plant.Dr Martin Nyondo, the medical director of CHUK, said that the 64-clice CT-scan came in at the right time since it was previously hard for the hospital to carry out diagnosis that needed the CT-scan on time.“Before the new equipment, we would transfer the patients to King Faisal Hospital (KFH) which would require a long process. On getting there, the hospital would also have its own patients already waiting. It was a big challenge,” he said.“Now we are able to diagnose more than 20 patients on emergency and the scan is cost effective and would help patients especially with health insurance to save money.”He noted that the hospital used to buy 80 cylinders per day at Rwf23,000.The new oxygen plant provides 60 cylinders per day. The project saw 25 health centres within the city of Kigali being provided with necessary equipment and extensions.The donation was part of the BTC larger health intervention programme aimed at supporting the City of Kigali in the implementation of its strategic health development plan.
