he government of Rwanda, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on Tuesday, deployed another set of robots in the country, in a move that seeks to strengthen national response to Covid-19 pandemic. The three ‘THOR UVC’ robots, which are expected to play a crucial role in infection prevention and control, were due to be handed over to the recently inaugurated Nyarugenge District Hospital. This is the second time the country deploys robots to minimise contact between frontline workers and persons infected with the virus and to help enforce safety guidelines at strategic points. “The new robots are cutting-edge THOR UVC robots which will help in cleaning and disinfecting treatment centres, hospitals and places of mass gathering, such as markets, offices or borders as means to limit the spread of the Covid-19”, a statement from the Ministry of Health reads in part. THOR ultra-violet (UVC) is a high output UVC disinfection robot, which utilizes room mapping technology to deliver a fast and effective germicidal dose of continuous-wave UVC energy killing germs and pathogens. Since March 14, when the first case of coronavirus was recorded in Rwanda, the country, just like many in the world, has been grappling with the pandemic. The pandemic has so far claimed 226 lives, leaving 16 patients in critical condition. Covid-19 preventive measures which mainly include physical distancing, washing hands and properly wearing masks have become part of everyday life. To step up the measures, however, the country has rolled out various innovations to enable people to live with the virus as they go about their routine activities with relative safety. According to experts, the virus has shown that disease does not respect geographic boundaries, but that emerging technology such as robotics will make it easier for prepared countries to combat both the Covid-19 pandemic and future pandemics. The robots will be handed over on Tuesday, February 9 at the recently launched Nyarugenge District Hospital in Nyarugenge District.
