The Ministry of Health has announced that King Faisal Hospital will start offering kidney transplants this year, making it the first hospital to introduce the practice in the country.

The development was expected to start in 2022, however, the hospital was still getting organised for the medical service.

Speaking to The New Times, Julien M. Niyingabira, Division Manager of Rwanda Health Communications Centre at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), revealed that Rwanda now has the required tools and medical specialists to perform kidney transplants.

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The law that regulates the use of the human body, organs, tissues, cells and products of the human body for therapeutic, educational or scientific purposes was recently approved and published in the official journal.

This will allow the implementation of organ transplant surgery services in Rwanda, including kidney transplants.

Niyingabira emphasised that this law was one of the necessary steps for the procedure to be carried out.

According to the government, the move will help in achieving the national target to be a regional hub of medical services, and attract healthcare investors who may also set up other transplant centres.

Over the past eight years, the Government of Rwanda has referred close to 70 patients abroad for kidney transplants, which costs $12,000 (roughly Rwf12 million) per patient, totalling $840,000.

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Kidney transplant is more advantageous and the first treatment for people with renal failure, said Dr Erhard Dufatanye, a consultant internist, Fellow in Nephrology, at King Faisal Hospital.

"People who get kidney dialysis service often wait for a kidney transplant,” he said.

Dr Dufatanye added that kidney dialysis causes some complications to the patient, such as dizziness, loss of appetite, and cutting out particular meals.

"Kidney transplant is cheaper than being on dialysis. It makes you healthier, and survive than someone using kidney dialysis. A person on dialysis pays as they get the service (thrice a week) for an uncertain period of time, whereas a kidney transplant requires only medicine,” he said.