The Director-General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, has said that the severity of Covid-19 has left at least 18 Rwandans fighting for their lives in High Dependency Care Unit (HDU). Nsanzimana told this paper on Wednesday, January 13, that the group is part of the more than 40 Covid-19 patients who are currently in critical condition. He explained that patients who are admitted in HDU ordinarily need the most intensive care normally more than those in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). “Patients admitted in this category are worse than ICU patients. They require extreme care and a variety of resources,” Nsanzimana said. In part, the epidemiologist attributed the cause to the home-based care patients who continue to mingle freely with the public thereby making it difficult for their bodies to battle the virus as well as putting masses at a high risk. Secondly, he added, “We have also discovered that some people report to health agencies at a later stage, mainly because of ignoring the effects of this pandemic.” Nsanzimana pointed out that it is time Rwandans dispel the myth that this virus is just a normal cold, especially with the impact it has brought to the country. Increased cost “There is a lot that goes into saving the life of a patient in critical condition. It is not just the oxygen required. You need all these specialists sacrificing to see that they keep the person alive,” he added. This, Nsanzimana highlighted necessitated the government to transform the new Nyarugenge District Hospital into a Covid-19 treatment facility. The facility has the capacity to admit over 136 patients in its Intensive Care Unit. “We are anticipating a situation where patients in critical condition will continue to increase. Establishing the facility is part of the efforts to ensure that such patients are well treated, and that’s the only way we can go about it.” In an interview with the national broadcaster, Nsanzimana said that unlike Kanyinya, where the country had to transport equipment, the facility is fitted with a modern oxygen supply system in the walls among other hi-tech equipment. So far, Rwanda has confirmed a total number of 10,122 Covid-19 cases. Of these, 6,974 while 3,020 are still active cases. At least 128 people have succumbed to the virus since its outbreak in March last year.
