The University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) will begin relocating its services to the newly expanded Masaka Hospital in phases, following the official handover of the Chinese-supported facility to the Government of Rwanda.

The Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, announced the plan during the handover ceremony for the newly expanded Masaka Hospital in Kicukiro District on Friday, August 28.

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"Starting today, we will begin putting this facility to use for the services it was designed to provide,” Nsanzimana said.

"We are making the necessary preparations for patients to start receiving treatment here. Some of the preparations have already been completed, while others are still underway.”

The current CHUK facility in Nyarugenge District will remain operational during the transition as services are moved to Masaka in phases.

"By the end of this year, we expect the key services that currently face space constraints at CHUK, making it difficult for patients to access care, to have adequate space at the new facility.”

The expansion and renovation of Masaka Hospital significantly increased its size and capacity, with its total floor area growing from 6,389 square metres to 56,957 square metres.

The new facility has a capacity will have 837 beds, making it the largest hospital complex in Rwanda, according to Nsanzimana.

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The facility is equipped with 22 operating theatres and comprises 13 buildings, including outpatient and emergency services, a medical technology building, inpatient wards, an administrative building and a helicopter pad.

The project also features a specially designed network of connecting corridors adapted to the area’s complex terrain, which has a height difference of up to 32 metres, to facilitate the movement of patients between different sections of the hospital.

Nsanzimana said the facility is expected to provide high-level medical services to both national and international patients and eventually become a regional healthcare hub.

"We expect this to be a hub for medicine in Africa and beyond, through the friendship and partnership between Rwanda and China. This is a great milestone.”

Masaka Hospital was opened in 2011 and plans for its expansion and renovation were initiated in 2018. Physical construction officially commenced in July 2022, with the groundbreaking ceremony held in March 2023.

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"The successful completion of this renovation and expansion project marks a comprehensive and historic transformation of the hospital, ushering in a new era of development in its facilities and service capabilities,” said Gao Wenqi, Ambassador of China to Rwanda.

"With its advanced facilities, comprehensive functions and strong teaching capacity, I believe the new hospital will not only become one of the largest comprehensive teaching hospitals, but also gradually grow into a regional medical hub serving East Africa and extending benefits to the entire African continent.”

He added that China would continue working with Rwanda to strengthen the hospital through advanced medical equipment, the development of specialised medical disciplines and increased cooperation in medical technology and training.