3,000 hospital beds needed to end overcrowding, says health minister

Rwanda needs at least 3,000 hospital beds to ease pressure on health facilities across the country, Health Minister Dr Sabin Nsanzimana has said. Nsanzimana made the remarks on Thursday, July 9, while responding to concerns raised by Members of Parliament during the Prime Minister's presentation on government activities titled “Strengthening Rwanda’s Resilience to Internal and External Shocks.” ALSO READ: What Rwanda’s health system has become after three decades MPs raised concerns about overcrowding in health facilities amid growing demand for specialised healthcare services, especially the elderly. MP Alphonse Nkubana said that while about one in every 15 Rwandans is aged above 60 years, the country has only a limited number of specialists available to provide care for elderly people. MP Yvonne Mujawabega raised concerns over overcrowding in health facilities, saying some rooms accommodate patients with different illnesses, alongside caregivers and medical equipment. ALSO READ: It's time we took stock of the growing numbers of the elderly Responding to the lawmakers' concerns, Nsanzimana said the government is preparing to establish specialised services for the elderly. “Growing old is not an issue; it is something we need. Just like we have paediatricians that take care of children, we are planning to establish geriatrics that will take care of elderly people,” he said. He said Rwanda has started training healthcare workers in geriatric care by providing additional specialisation to internal medicine practitioners. “We have some Rwandans who have been trained and are now training others. They will gradually increase in number to provide care for older people while ensuring they remain healthy,” Nsanzimana said. He added that improvements in healthcare and lifestyles have changed how people experience ageing, with many remaining physically active for longer. “People used to think that at the age of 50 they would need walking sticks, but today they can run like 30-year-olds,” he said. He added that Rwanda currently has about 8,000 hospital beds countrywide but requires more capacity to meet increasing demand. “We have about 8,000 beds in health facilities across the country, and we need an additional 3,000 as soon as possible. We are discussing with the finance department how we can make this happen quickly,” Nsanzimana said. He said the Government has already started expanding capacity in key referral hospitals, including the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) and King Faisal Hospital, which are expected to add an additional 400 beds each this year. Other hospitals, including Nyamata District Hospital, are also among facilities planned for expansion. ALSO READ: What does Rwanda's rising life expectancy mean? The Minister said part of the pressure on hospitals comes from patients who remain admitted while waiting for services that could be provided elsewhere, including unnecessary visits and non-medical support services within hospitals. “At CHUK, there are about 1,000 patient caregivers. We need to reduce this number, as well as unnecessary visits. Services such as cooking are also being handled within hospitals, which contributes to overcrowding,” he said. The government is also working to strengthen healthcare services as the country faces growing challenges linked to an ageing population and non-communicable diseases. Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva said Rwanda continues to invest in strengthening its ability to prevent and respond to health emergencies, including epidemics. “At a time when the world continues to face epidemics such as COVID-19, Ebola, Marburg, respiratory diseases and non-communicable diseases, Rwanda has prioritised building capacity to prepare for and respond quickly,” Nsengiyumva said. He noted that Rwanda managed to contain the 2024 Marburg outbreak within 82 days, with 66 infections recorded and a fatality rate of 22.7 per cent, which he said was lower than rates recorded in previous outbreaks in other countries. Nsengiyumva said the government will continue investing in modern laboratories, disease surveillance systems, emergency response capacity and specialised health facilities. He added that the Government is also working to strengthen local production of medicines and medical supplies, including vaccine, drugs and medical equipment manufacturing. The Prime Minister said the government is also expanding the health workforce through a programme aimed at quadrupling the number of health sector workers within four years, while promoting technology, vaccination and preventive healthcare.

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3,000 hospital beds needed to end overcrowding, says health minister