EASTERN PROVINCE

RWAMAGANA -  Rwamagana district hospital officially launched a new administrative block. The construction, that was sponsored by Luxemburg Development Cooperation is worth Rwf 140 million , officials said.

Gruchant Lepointe, the Luxemburg development representative at the function, said the cooperation agency intends to finance more of such health institutions.

"It is important that we expand the infrastructure of the hospital and help train staff to gain required skills”.

Dr. Claude Ndagijimana, the hospital Director said the new block will give them space to undertake administrative duties. "We have to expand the hospital to meet the ever increasing number of patients. Any new building therefore, gives us the opportunity to realize our objectives”.

The Doctor says the aim is to make the hospital a provincial referral unit so that patients from other districts need not visit Kigali for assistance.

Emile Gasore, district officer in charge of health said additional assistance is welcome since the hospital’s infrastructure, is far below the required standards. He mentioned the lack of maternity wards as some of the facilities needed to fully modernize the institution.

"We only have 200 beds to be used by hospitalized patients. We thus need to increase the capacity of hospitalization, and actually cater for all classes of patients,” he said.

Rwamagana hospital started in 1950s as a dispensary, and later on grew up into a hospital.

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