Rwanda: Building a State-of-the-Art Hospital to Cope with Growing Demand

Surrounded by lush green hills, with trimmed lawns winding between its buildings, Musanze Hospital in northwestern Rwanda enjoys a picturesque setting that adds to its appeal as a leading medical facility and referral hospital for six adjacent districts. But with projected population growth expected to soar in the next decade and a half, the pressure on limited resources will grow. Indeed, the hospital has already outgrown its capacity.

"Although we have ten beds, we receive between 20 to 30 patients daily in the emergency department," says Dr. Bernard Habineza, a general practitioner. 

Expanding Hospital Capacity

The Rwandan government notes this growing dilemma in its strategic healthcare plan, which focuses on enhancing access to high-quality healthcare. To help expand the hospital's capacity to meet ever-increasing healthcare demands, AFD is providing support with a €75 million loan and a €4 million grant. 

The funds will go to everything from medical equipment to personnel. "We only have two doctors on duty in the emergency department who alternate throughout the week, leaving patients waiting for hours to receive consultation," says Gisèle Mukahirkia, a nurse in charge of the emergency department. 

These challenges are widespread, affecting not just the maternity and pediatric wards but also the day hospitals. Patient Béatrice Mukahirwa feels looked after by medical staff but sees that they’re over-worked. "The doctors are very dedicated and do their best, but you can feel that they're overwhelmed."

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This project is an ambitious one, entailing the destruction and replacement of all existing buildings, except for the laboratory. They’ll make way for a new, spacious, and well-equipped facility. This expansion will almost double the hospital's capacity, from 320 to 550 beds, enabling it to serve the local population under improved conditions.

Introducing New Services

The project will also introduce new services, including intensive care and diagnostic services such as scanners, MRI, and electrocardiograms. The goal is to provide the same level of healthcare quality as in the capital, thus reducing the need for patients to travel long distances. 

"I drove two hours to get here,” says Béatrice, who suffers from a heart condition. “But as they don't have an electrocardiogram here, I have to drive another two hours to get to an appointment in Kigali. It's very tiring, especially when you're ill." 

Dr. Philbert Muhire, the hospital's Director, is enthusiastic about the project's potential. "Besides enhancing patient treatment conditions, we will finally have all the services that have been lacking, enabling us to offer comprehensive care right here in Musanze." This is expected to make a significant impact on a national scale, especially since the country has only 20 to 30 intensive care beds.

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Improving Conditions for All

Simultaneously, the project seeks to strengthen human resources. Rwanda currently lags with only a quarter of the medical practitioners recommended by the WHO, and almost half of the hospital positions remain vacant. As part of this initiative, healthcare personnel will undergo training, particularly in maternal, gynecological, and child health, acute medicine, and infectious diseases. Collaborative exchanges between French and Rwandan hospitals will also be organized.

Although the project will take at least four years to complete, the medical staff is optimistic about the future. In the gynecology and obstetrics departments, which constitute around 50% of the facility's activity, midwives look forward to providing their patients with greater privacy.

"The delivery areas are currently separated only by curtains and are quite narrow,” says Marie-Louise Uwimana, a midwife. “We're eagerly awaiting the new hospital, which will enable us to work in better conditions and, most importantly, offer improved support to women during childbirth."