Medical drive ‘takes treatment’ to genocide survivors in Nyamata

Genocide survivors who live at ‘Impinganzima centre,’ in Nyamata Sector, Bugesera District received free treatment in a medical drive organised by Medical Volunteer’s Organisation (MVO). Elderly survivors residing at the centre, along with other locals, received medical check-ups and treatment at Bugesera Hospital, for the different ailments they were suffering from, during a three-day-outreach that started on May 5. The medical outreach is a yearly event that brings together medical doctors and specialists from different hospitals, to find patients in different hospitals and offer treatment in their hometowns. It aims at taking medical treatment closer to patients; as well as encouraging early screening and treatment of diseases. Jean-Paul Byiringiro, the founder of MVO and a gynaecologist at King Faisal hospital said prevention is better than cure; screening especially is important in the prevention of diseases since it helps one understand their health status, hence taking action beforehand. One of Intwaza interacts with doctors during a free treatment exercise conducted by Medical Volunteer’s Organisation at Impinganzima center in Bugesera District on May 6, 2022. Dan Nsengiyumva “Prevention is better than cure. I call on people to go for early screening,” he said. He went ahead and lauded volunteer work, especially in the field of medicine noting how it has capacity to advance the health sector. “Volunteering is not common, especially in our field of work. But it is something good we should learn from, since it is again facilitating government activities through the ministry of health,” he said. MVO has 200 doctors who have always volunteered to be part of this activity for the past three years and this time, over 400 patients with different cases have been treated under this outreach. Esperance Kantarama, a survivor and one of the patients who were attended to at the Impinganzima centre, commended the team for bringing health services closer to them. Esperance Kantarama of Elderly survivors residing at the centers speaks to the media . “I have been sick, but the doctors gave me treatment and now I feel better. I am happy with them for coming to find us; and bringing these services close to us.” Alexis Mutangana, a doctor at King Faisal and member of MVO says that some of the patients don’t have the means to access treatment for some diseases; “this is an opportunity for all the elderly to get treatment, especially for the survivors who have chronic pain due to the trauma and hardships they passed through.” Mutangana says it is not about the numbers of those attended to, but rather the act of reaching out to help solve some of the problems in society, especially in their field as doctors. Dr Alexis Mutangana, a doctor at King Faisal Hospital and a member of the Medical Volunteer’s Organisation explains to journalist how this free treatment exercise helps the beneficiaries. He called onto other medics to join the drive and give back to the community. MVO is a local non-profit organisation, with a mission to provide healthcare services to the most vulnerable people in the community, and to provide a platform for all healthcare providers who want to give back to the community. Doctors concluded the treatment outreach with a visit to Nyamata memorial site, where they laid a wreath on the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

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Medical drive ‘takes treatment’ to genocide survivors in Nyamata