Calls for more training of health experts

The government plans to  set up a medical university to be known as the Rwanda Bio-medical Centre in the coming years.
This was revealed on Wednesday by the Minister of Health, Dr. Richard Sezibera during the closure of a three-day conference on maternal and child health.

"We will set up a university of medicine and allied health services particularly to answer critical issues in the health sector. Apparently we have less than 100 mid-wives and it is impossible to achieve our targets unless we have the people who can do these interventions,” Sezibera said.

"The law is waiting to be tabled before parliament,” he underscored emphasizing that efforts to increase training and human resource development in Rwanda were crucial.

The Minister also revealed that increased and improved access to training should be availed to health workers if health sector’s objectives are to be met.

He added that the rate at which Rwanda is producing doctors, nurses, midwives and other health professionals does not meet the challenge at hand.

"A highly trained health worker with minimal equipment can save lives but a lot of equipment in the hands of an untrained person can be dangerous to lives of mothers and children and therefore a focus on this issue is critical.”

The minister called upon partners and others concerned parties to ensure availability of resources that will provide quality and quantity training to health workers hence accelerating the progress of the sector.

The conference dubbed "Preventing maternal and child deaths: Towards the MDGs 2015,” is the first of its kind in Rwanda and organizers affirmed that this initiative will continue annually in a bid to track the implementation progress and contribution to health development.

The Ministry of health in conjunction with the George Washington University organized this seminar to bring attention to the achievements and way forward in maternal and child health in Rwanda.

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