During the past week, a new pediatric facility with eight main wards and 68 beds was inaugurated at Kibogora Hospital in Nyamasheke District to enhance health care provision to children. The facility worth Rwf 200 million also has an emergency room, an isolation room for patients with contagious diseases, two private wards, children’s dining room, two dressing rooms, and five treatment stations, among other things with capacity to receive 80 children per day. However its construction was through a funding consortium called ‘Better Together.’ In similar developments, the Ministry of Health launched a week-long national campaign in Cyanika sector, Burera district to reach out to children and mothers in an effort to promote healthier living. During the launch, mothers and children were given free doses of Albendole and vitamin A. The drive is expected to engage health mobilisers and local leaders to reach out to mothers and children below five years on hygiene, nutrition and child care awareness. Speaking at the launch, James Kamanzi, the director-general of Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said despite the tremendous progress registered in healthcare, a lot needs to be done to secure the lives of mothers and children. Meanwhile, the Minister for Health, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, ordered for a probe into the conduct of three doctors, a nurse and a top administrator at Rwinkwavu Hospital in Kayonza District following the death of an expectant mother at the facility. Aloysie Nikuze Umulisa, 30, who had a cesarean section three weeks ago at the hospital, bled to death hours later. The baby, however, was successfully removed from the mother’s womb and is still alive. The medics and staff at the hospital are alleged to have disregarded the procedure and clinical guidelines during the operation one week ago. Dr Fulgence Nyikabahizi, the director of the hospital, confirmed the suspensions, saying in view of the magnitude of the alleged acts‚ the said staff members were put on precautionary suspension pending the outcome of the investigation. Nyikabahizi said the health ministry took the action based on the seriousness of the claims leveled against the doctors basing on belief that their presence at work might have jeopardised the probe into their alleged misconduct. Else where around the globe, the first person in the world who received a pioneering genetic therapy had her cancer reversed according to Great Ormond Street doctors. One-year-old Layla Richards, from London, had incurable aggressive leukaemia only five months ago. Doctors used who used “designer immune cells” to fight the cancer say that her improvement was “almost a miracle”. According to the medics, it is too soon to know if she has been cured, but her progress already marks a huge moment for the field. Layla was three months old when she was diagnosed with the condition. As often happens with very young babies, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant failed to cure her. Doctors had nothing left to offer and, the day before her first birthday, her family were advised to go through palliative care.
